
































































































































































THE 


HISTORY OR THE JEWS 


FROM THE 


BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY 


TO THE 


PRESENT TIME: 


COMPRISING 


THEIR CONQUESTS, DISPERSIONS, WANDERINGS 
PERSECUTIONS, COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES, 
LITERATURE, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND 

FORMS OF WORSHIP, 

WITH AN 

ACCOUNT OF THE VARIOUS EFFORTS MADE FOR THEIR CONVERSION 


COMPILED FROM THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES. 


WITH A PREFACE BY 


WILLIAM JENKS, D.D. 



PUBLISHED BY M. A. BERK. 

1 848 . 





3 s' 

\ w* 


Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1842, bv Matthew 
A. Berk, in the Clerk’s office of the District Court of the Southern 
District of .New York. 


i 


BOSTON: 

STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED 
BY DOW AND JACKSON. 


PRESS OF G. C. RAND fy CO. 






of-9AW 


PREPACE 


TO THE FIRST EDITION. 


In every point of view in which the state of the Jews can 
be contemplated, it must be regarded as an object fraught 
with the deepest interest. They have been a wonderful 
people from the beginning. Their history, commencing 
with the call of Abraham, extending onward to the periods 
of their captivity—and the destruction of Jerusalem—and 
embracing the subsequent judgments that overtook them— 
their present dispersion—and their future glorious prospects, 
—is a history full of meaning and of interest, and valuable 
for the lessons which it teaches. It differs, in many impor¬ 
tant respects, from the history of any other portion of the 
human race. The country which they once occupied 
exhibits many singular and peculiar features. Once they 
were God’s “ peculiar treasure,”—first as a family, and then 
as a nation. Their national literature is the most ancient in 
the world ; and their code of laws, as embodied in their 
sacred books, \\*is admirably adapted to the circumstances 
in which they were placed, and to the promotion of the spe¬ 
cific purposes for which it was designed. The great features 
of their national character are delineated in the records of 
their earliest history. Once they were “ a kingdom of 
priests, an holy nation ; ” but they neglected the great sal¬ 
vation ; and now they are homeless and desolate, “ without 
a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and 
without an image, and without an ephod, and without a 
Terraphim.” Nevertheless, they remain unconsumed, 
“meted out, and trodden down;” but marvellously pre¬ 
served, as a distinct and separate race, “ dwelling alone, not 
reckoned among the nations, a bye-word and a proverb,” 





6 


INTRODUCTION. 


but still beloved for their fathers’ sakes. They now hang 
their harps upon the willows, and weep when they remember 
Zion. Zion said, “ The Lord hath forsaken me ; my God 
hath forgotten me.” But what saith the Lord? “Cana 
woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have 
compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, but 
I will not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the 
palms of my hand ; thy walls are continually before me.” 
A time of favor is yet awaiting them. “ I will raise up,” 
sait^ the Lord, “ the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and 
close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, 
and I will build it as in the days of old.” “ And 1 will bring 
again the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build 
the waste cities and inhabit them ; and they shall plant 
vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make 
gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them 
upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of 
their land, which I have given them, saith the Lord thy 
God.” “ And when the Lord bringeth back the captivity 
of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.” 

As a standing memorial of God’s faithfulness, all the 
judgments that he threatened have overtaken them ; but, as 
destined also to be the monuments of his mercy, all that he 
has promised will be accomplished. The righteousness of 
Zion and Jerusalem shall “go forth as brightness, and the 
salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.” The city that 
sits “ solitary,” and “ is become as a widow,” shall “ no 
more be termed Forsaken, nor the land be any more termed 
Desolate; she shall be called Hephzi-bah, and the land 
Beulah ; for the Lord delighteth in her, and her land shall 
be married.” Though she hath “lien among the pots,” she 
shall “ be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and 
her feathers with yellow gold.” “ The Jews shall turn to the 
Lord, and the veil shall be taken away.” Though now 
scorning the imputed righteousness of Christ, they shall yet 
be pardoned and cleansed, and become “a crown of glory 
in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of 
their God.” Though now scattered and called outcast, 


INTRODUCTION. 


7 


“ God’s eye rests on them ; he doth earnestly remember 
them still, and will surely have mercy upon them.” Though 
driven, without any permanent resting-place, from country 
to country, their attachment to their ancient soil remains; 
and, amidst persecution, and desolation, and fiery trials, 
they anticipate the time when their wanderings shall all be 
over, and they be reinstated in their father-land. Amidst all 
the changes of civil polity, and the various revolutions of 
the nations of the world, this people has preserved a sub¬ 
stantial unity of character, that is but slightly modified by 
the peculiarities of the different countries where they are to 
be found. To the student of human nature, by the medium 
of history, the documents in which the circumstances of the 
Jews are detailed, will ever afford the most valuable instruc¬ 
tion ; but it is on the Christian, and viewed in the light in 
which Christianity presents it, that the condition of the 
Jews urges its claims to consideration, with a force that 
none can resist who have felt the power of divine truth on 
their hearts. 

The obligations under which Christians are to the Jews 
are such as they can never sufficiently repay. Christianity is 
indebted to them, as the chosen people of God, for all the 
privileges which they now enjoy, by the possession of the 
records of Divine Revelation. All the inspired writers of 
both the parts of the canon of Scripture were Jews. By 
the Jews the Old Testament was preserved with the utmost 
care, and transmitted through successive generations with 
the most scrupulous fidelity ; and to the skill and diligence 
of Jewish transcribers exclusively it is that Christianity owes 
the present possession of these Sacred Writings in their 
original form. The learned of that nation have, at different 
times, produced writings, which, amidst a mass of error and 
absurdity, contain much that is calculated to throw light on 
the meaning of many passages of the Old Testament, and 
communicate much useful information respecting the lan¬ 
guage in which it was written ; and when general attention 
began to be directed to the study of this language, there was 
no other quarter at the time to which the student could have 


8 


INTRODUCTION. 


recourse for the instruction necessary to his success. The 
first preachers and missionaries of the Gospel of Christ were 
Jews ; and it is to the instrumentality, either direct or indi¬ 
rect, of men of this nation, that, under the blessing of the 
Head of the Church, is to be ascribed the first introduction 
and continued existence of Christianity throughout the ex¬ 
tent of the Christian world. # To the same source must also 
be referred all the temporal blessings which Christianity has 
brought with it into the countries in which it has been 
established. 

When we think of these things, we wonder why the Jews 
should have been so hated, and contemned, and persecuted 
by men professing Christianity in the countries of the old 
world. Can any modern nation boast of such ancestors? 
Can any prince or magistrate glory in a nobler line of sires? 
Have the Christianized Gentiles received from any other 
nation such literature, such poetry, such elegant writings, 
such divine narratives, such inestimable treasures of divine 
truth, as all these which we have received from the Jews in 
the Gospel, recorded in the Old and New Testaments? Did 
any nation but the Jews give us the Savior and Great One, 
who came to turn away ungodliness from Jacob, and to be 
our salvation to the ends of the earth? No, not one. 

And they are preserved in the midst of the Gentile w r orld 
as a distinct people, in order to show to all nations the great 
and glorious deliverance awaiting Israel and Judah. 

The following pages will show, in a succinct and popular 
epitome of their history, what God has done to them in his 
vindicating justice ; and what he is beginning to do to them, 
in turning the hearts of foes and friends toward them, to do 
them good in the latter days. 

I commend this book to the providence of God, hoping 
that the Christian and Jewish readers will profit by the 
perusal thereof. I have only to add that I have made these 
additions,—namely, an Index, and a Preface,—at th.e request 
of my very dear Christian friend, Mr. Berk, a son of 

* The Reformation itself seems to have owed not a little to a Jew. Luther was 
greatly helped by the writings of Lyra, a Jewish convert, to a right interpretation 
of the Bible; so much so, that it has been said, “ Si Lyra non lyrasset, Lutherua 
non saltasset,” — If Lyra had not piped, Luther had not danced. 



INTRODUCTION. 


9 


Abraham, “ the father of the faithful,” both according to 
the flesh, and according to the spiritual covenant. 

W. C. Brownlee. 

New York, February 16, 1842. 



I 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 


From the Rev. Samuel M. Worcester, rastor of the Tabernacle Church, 

Salem, Mass. 

The book which Mr. Berk is now circulating is well worthy of attention 
from all friends of the Jews, his “ brethren and kinsmen according to the 
fiesh. ,, Those who purchase it will do a kindness to him, while they 
may receive an equivalent, if not more, in the value of the information 
which it contains. 

Samuel M. Worcester. 

Salem, March, 30, 184-2. 


From Rev. Thomas M. Clark, Rector of Grace Church, Boston. 

The information contained in the “ History of the Jews," re-published 
in this country by Mr. Berk, is very valuable. The book appears to have 
been compiled with care, and the subscriber believes that its statements 
may be relied on as true. He would cordially recommend it to the 
Christian public. 

Thomas M. Clark. 

Boston, July 5, 1842. 


From Rev. Moses Stuart, Professor of Sacred Literature , Theological 

Seminary, Andover. 

I have read the History of the Jeivs, by Mr. Berk, the bearer of this, 
and deem it a useful book in giving information respecting the Jewish 
nation, from the time of their captivity down to the present period. 1 
can hardly name the book which comprises so much of this history in so 
small a compass, in the English language. I think it worthy of the atten¬ 
tion and the patronage of those who feel an interest in reclaiming the 
unbelieving Jews; and I hope and trust there are few Christians destitute 
of such an interest. 

Moses Stuart. 

Andover, 17th Nov., 1842. 

' 

I 

From Rev. Dr. Sharp, Pastor of Charles Street Baptist Church, Boston. 

The History of the Jews, from their captivity to the present year, 
published by Mr. M. A. Berk, with a preface by Dr. Jenks, is a very inter¬ 
esting volume. It contains information concerning that ancient and much 
injured people, that can be found in no other book. I trust the history of 
that wonderful people, their persecutions and sufferings, will he generally 
read; and excite the sympathies and prayers and efforts of Christians in 
their behalf—and that the publisher of this book will be amply rewarded. 

Daniel Sharp. 

Boston, Jan. 5, 1842. 










PREFACE 


TO THE SECOND EDITION. 


No one, I think, who has experienced upon his own heart 
the influence of divine truth, as derived from the holy 
Scriptures, will hesitate to form his estimation of men 
according to the sacred standard. And his taste, hallowed 
and sanctified by piety, will give to the subjects of revelation 
their just weight and importance—which can be no other 
than the highest. 

In contemplating, therefore, the nations of the earth, 
whatever regard he may have for classical antiquity, and 
whatever interest he may take in the lives, characters and 
pursuits of the great men of Greece and Rome, he will yet 
be willing to turn from them, and dwell with a far higher 
interest on the Hebrew nation. For its worthies he will feel 
an attachment he cannot feel for others. Their characters 
are blended with the great articles of his faith, and their 
lives illustrate the volume vrhich is his guide to eternity. 
Their history will be to him the most important. For he 
cannot forget that to them God was pleased to reveal Him¬ 
self and His will ; that of them were “the fathers and 
that, above all, they were separated from the rest of the 
nations of the earth, for the special purpose, that of them 
should be born the Messiah, “ the Desire of all nations,” as 
well as “the glory of God’s people, Israel.” 



12 


PREFACE. 


It was an eminent Jew who declared, publicly and sol¬ 
emnly, when questioned concerning his professed faith in 
Jesus Christ as this Messiah of his nation, that he taught 
“none other things than Moses and the prophets did say 
should come. 55 Let this “ Hebrew of the Hebrews 55 be 
heard and believed by his “ kinsmen according to the flesh, 55 
whose reverence for their Master, Moses, is so great ; and 
they will find that even Moses will rise in their estimation, 
when it is perceived and felt that “ the law, 55 of which he 
was the chosen promulgator, is “ a schoolmaster to bring 
them to Christ, 55 their own Messiah, for eternal salvation. 

The Gospel honors the founder of the Hebrew faith, then, 
as it does the founder of the Hebrew nation ; making Abra¬ 
ham “ the father of the faithful,” and Moses, his distin¬ 
guished descendant, the most eminent type of the Messiah, 
who was also “ of the seed of Abraham according to the 
flesh,” in whom God has united the human nature with the 
divine; “for in him, 55 as was foretold by Isaiah, in His 
appropriate name of “ Emmanuel,” “ dwelleth all the full¬ 
ness of the Godhead bodilv.” 

When Christ, then, is accepted, it is, virtually, but the 
fulfillment of the prediction of the Jewish prophet, that 
“ men 55 of all nations “shall take hold of the skirt of Him 
that is a Jew , saying ‘We will go with you, for we have 
heard that God is with you. 5 55 And hence it actually is, 
that, although, on account of their unbelief and sin, as 
Moses himself asserts, the Jews, as a people, have failed to 
be what their God graciously declared He was ready to 
make them, “ a nation of priests, a holy nation, 5 * they have, 
nevertheless, even as it is, become the instruments of en¬ 
lightening the world. For the apostles of Christ, the first 
preachers of the Gospel, were, as well as their Lord and 
Master, of this highly favored race. 

Now such a consideration is conciliatory. It disarms the 
spirit of persecution, if a real Christian can feel that spirit. 
And it can, at the same time, cause the reflective Jew to 
forgive the indignities and injuries his nation has unhappily 
suffered. Yet it is not to be forgotten on either side, that 






PREFACE. 


13 


the Holy Book they both believe predicts these very suffer¬ 
ings—a prediction confirming in its fulfilment the solemn 
truth of God. 

The spirit of the Gospel is love. And it contains the 
memorable assertion, “ If a man have not the spirit of 
Christ, he is none of His.” It therefore reproves, and con¬ 
sequently disowns, every unfriendly, hostile feeling, except 
against sin. It seeks the good, spiritual and temporal, of 
all mankind—particularizing “first the Jew,” and then the 
Greek or Gentile. This is its golden key to open the hearts 
of all men. And its spirit is manifesting its«lf in those 
numerous associations which have been formed for persuad¬ 
ing the Jews to embrace their own Messiah, I repeat this 
name, their endeared “ Emmanuel.” The professions which 
these associations make are substantiated by the real benefits 
they have conferred, and are not empty words. Actions 
have shown, that many Christians are desirous of wiping 
away the blot which for many an age disgraced the name 
they bear, in reference to treatment given the Jews. 

This book is a proof. It appears to be written in a good 
spirit, friendly, loving, Christian. It manifests a kind regard 
to the House of Israel, in the earnest desires which breathe 
throughout it, that Jews may embrace their promised Shiloh, 
as many Gentiles do agreeably to Jewish predictions, and be 
happy in Him here, and forever! 

A Jew, who sincerely yields himself to these benevolent 
desires in his behalf, and receives in faith the New as well 
as Old Testament, as his ancestor Abraham would have 
“ rejoiced ” to do, must truly look on Jesus Christ with 
feelings far more keen than can be experienced by mere 
Gentile believers. Christ is literally to Jews their “ bone 
and flesh ”—their countryman—the Hope of their illustrious 
fathers, on whose account themselves are “ beloved 5 —pre¬ 
dicted by their own David, Isaiah, and other holy prophets 
of their nation—and “ precious,” not to them alone, but to 
“ be for salvation to the ends of the earth ”—the Grand 
Medium of union to the whole human family. 

The writer of these few prefatory remarks has had, com- 
1 


14 


PREFACE. 


paratively, but little intercourse with Jews. Yet such as he 
has known, who have manifested a serious piety, and pro¬ 
fessed a belief in Christ, have justified, he must say, the 
views now expressed, and the character just described. And 
his earnest wish is, and his prayer, that the re-publication 
of the present volume, enlarged and enriched by his Judseo- 
Christian friend, Mr. Berk, may be blessed “ of the God of 
Israel, 55 not only to excite an enlarged affection toward the 
Jews, and an interest in their highest welfare, among Chris¬ 
tians themselves, which is greatly desirable ; but also to 
attract the descendants of Abraham to the faith of the 
Gospel, and a trust in their Messiah and King, agreeably to 
the cheering prophecies of their own divinely inspired 
Scriptures. 

William Jenks. 

Boston, January 11 , 1843 . 





CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER I. 

JDie Seventy Years’ Captivity—Condition of the Hebrews in Exile—The 
v Decree of Cyrus—Return of the Jews, and Rebuilding of the City and 
Temple—Conquests of Alexander. . ... 19 

CHAPTER 'II. 

^Persecutions by Antiochus Epiphanes—The War of Independence- 
Subjugation of Judea by the Romans—Invasion by the Parthians—Anti- 
gonus—Defeat of Antigonus, and Accession of Herod to the Throne of 
Judea. . . 33 


CHAPTER III. 

Reign of Herod the Great—Archelaus—Herod Antipas—Herod Philip— 
King Agrippa—Agrippa the Tetrarch—Pontius Pilate—Antonius Felix 
—Porcius Festus—Albinus—Gessius Florus. .... 42 

CHAPTER IV. 

Provocations offered to the Jews—Popular Commotion—Outbreak of the 
Jewish War—Campaign of Vespasian—Vespasian declared Emperor of 
Rome. 53 


CHAPTER V. 

Internal State of Jerusalem—John the Gischalite—The Zealots—Simon 
of Gerasa—Faction of Eleazar. 58 

CHAPTER VI. 

Advance of Titus against Jerusalem—Commencement of the Siege— 
Conquest of the Outer Wall—Capture of the Lower City—Siege of the 
Tower of Antonia—Assault on the Temple—Burning of the Temple— 
Conquest and Conflagration of the Upper City—Complete Demolition 
of Jerusalem—Close of the Jewish War.64 

CHAPTER VII. 

State of Judea subsequent to the Jewish War—Condition of the Jews 
during the reigns of Domitian, Nerva, and Trajan—Establishment of the 
Rabbinical Authority, and of the School of Tiberias—Their oppression 
by Hadrian—Appearance of Barcochab, the Pretended Messiah, ^nd 
General Revolt of the Jews—Their Defeat by Julius Severus—Building 
of ./Elia Capitolina—Edict of Hadrian—Julian the Apostate, and the 
Jewish Tradition. (From A. D. 70 to A. D. 137.) ... 77 





16 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER VIII. 

Power of the Patriarchs of Tiberias—The Mishma and Gemara—Jews 
and Samaritans under Severus—Caracalla—Heliogabalus—Alexander 
Severus—Zenobia of Jewish descent—Princedom ot the Captivity— 
The Babylonish Talmud—The Jerusalem Talmud—Jews in China. 
(From A. D. 220 to 350.). 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Establishment of Christianity as the National Religion—Edicts of 
Constantine—Jerusalem becomes a place of Christian Pilgrimage— 
Persecution of the Christians in Persia excited by the Jews—Rebellion 
in Palestine, and consequent Decrees of Constaniius—Conversion of 
Epiphanius—Julian's attempt to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem— 
Intolerant Zeal of Ambrose—Jerome studies under various Rabbis— 
Remarkable Conversion of the Jews in Minorca—Theodosius II. pro¬ 
hibits the celebration of the Feast of Purim—Contests between the 
Jews and Christians—Tumult at Alexandria—Moses at Crete—Suppres¬ 
sion of the Patriarchate of Tiberias. (From A. D. 340 to A. D. 434.) 

CHAPTER X. 

Wise Policy of the Ostrogothic Kings of Italy—Persecuting Edicts of 
Justinian—Dissension between the Rabbis and the People—Simeon of 
Emesa—The internal Slave-trade of Europe in the hands of the Jews— 
Conduct of Gregory the Great towards them—Rebellion of Mier 
against the Persian King, and consequent Persecution of the Babylonian 
Jews—Embassy of the Jews of Palestine to Nushirwan—Taking of 
Jerusalem by Chosroes II., and Massacre of the Christian inhabitants 
by the Jews—Recovery of the City by Heraclius. (From A. D. 530 to 
A. D. 610.).115 

CHAPTER XI. 

Jewish Kingdom in Arabia Felix—Wars of Mohammed against the Jewish 
Tribes—Subjugation of Palestine, and Conquest of Jerusalem by Omar 
—Downfall of the Persian Kingdom—Severe Persecutions of the Jews 
in Spain—Isidore of Seville—Various Councils of Toledo—Treatment 
of the Jews in France—Avitus of Clermont—Chilperic and Priscus. 
(From A. D. 610 to A. D. 710.).129 

CHAPTER XII. 

Golden age of Judaism—Kingdom of Khozar—Flourishing Condition of 
the Jews under the Caliphs of Bagdad—Anan and the Karaites—Leo 
the Isaurian, and other Byzantine Emperors—Favor shown to the Jews 
by Charlemagne and Louis le Debonnaire—Agobard of Lyons—Caliphs 
of Cordova—Rabbinical Learning flourishes in Spain—Lives and Writ¬ 
ings of Aben Ezra and Maimonides—Thirteen articles of Jewish Faith 
—Skill of Hebrew Physicians—Jewish Mistress of Alphonso IX. (From 
A. D. 660 to A. D. 1171.). 160 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Iron age of Judaism—Suppression of the Princedom of the Captivity— 
Benjamin of Tudela and Petachia—Jews in Italy—Nilus the Calabrian 
—Singular Custom at the Accession of a Pope—Synagogues of the South 




CONTENTS. 


17 


of France—Family of the Kimchi—Travels of Solomon Jarchi—The 
Jews at Beziers assaulted every Easter—Cruelties of the Crusaders— 
St. Bernard and Peter of Cluni—Philip Augustus banishes the Jews 
from France, but afterwards permits their return—Conduct of St. Louis 
—The Jews are again banished by Philip the Fair, and their property 
confiscated—Lewis Hutin permits them to return—Sanguinary Perse- 
tion in the south of France, which makes them happy to leave the 
Kingdom—They make a bargain with Charles the Wise, and again 
return—Final Expulsion under Charles VI.—Toleration of the Jews in 
Provence—The Jews of Castile—Alphonso the Wise—Don Joseph, a 
Jew, Treasurer to Alphonso XJ.—Anecdote of a Queen of Castile— 
Jews excluded from Barcelona—Bedrasci—Don Santo—Conferences 
between Jews and Christians in Arragon—Disputation in the presence 
of the Anti-pope Benedict XIII.—Joseph Albo—Conversions effected 
by Vincent Ferrier—New Christians—Banishment of the Jews from 
Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella—Hardships suffered by the Exiles— 
The Portuguese Jews distinguish themselves in Commerce and Lit¬ 
erature—Printing Press established by them at Lisbon—Sufferings of 
the Jew's in Portugal—They are expelled by King Manuel—Persecution 
of those who conformed to Christianity. (From A. D. 1130 to A. D. 
1500.) . 184 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Persecutions of the Jews in Switzerland—They are protected by the 
Emperors—The Black Death—Horrible Cruelties inflicted on the Jews 
at Strasburg—Persecutions in Brabant—Jew’s in England—William 
Rufus—Henry II.—Massacre of the Jews at York—Enactments made 
against Usury—The Jews first favored, and afterwards persecuted by 
John—Exactions of Henry III.—Expulsion by Edward I. (Between A. 
D. 1288 and A. D. 1394—1519.). 227 

CHAPTER XV. 

Jews in Naples—They are generally protected by the Popes—Council of 
Constance—Oppression of the Jews in the north of Italy—Establish¬ 
ment of the Monte di Pieta —Preachings of Bernardino Thomitano— 
The Jews favored at Florence—Jews of Leghorn—Adventures of Abar- 
banel—The Jews expelled from Naples—David and Solomon Molchu— 
Jews of Ferrara—The Venetian Government favors and protects the 
Jews—Jew's at Genoa and Caffa. (From A. D. 1500 to A. D. 1800.) 245 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Italian Rabbis—Leo the Hebrew—His “ Dialogues of Love ”—Jewish 
Printing Presses in Italy—The Soncinati—Gerson de Soncino, a re¬ 
nowned Printer—Learned Men—Gedaliah ben Joseph Jachia—Solomon 
Usque—His “ Consolation of Israel”—Leo of Modena—Tremelius— 
The Jews persecuted by various Popes—Wise Policy of Sixtus V.— 
German Jews—Jews in Russia—Influence of the Reformation on the 
State of the Jews—They enjoy great Prosperity in Poland—They are 

E rotected by the United Provinces—Jews at Constantinople. (From A. 
i. 1580 to A. D. 1647.). 262 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Flourishing State of the Jews in Holland—Mannasseh ben Israel—His 
unsuccessful attempt to prevail upon the English Government to re-ad- 
mit the Jews—They are re-admitted under Charles 11.—Esdras of 

j # 



18 


CONTENTS. 


Hamburgh converts many to the Christian Faith—Leopold 1. expels tho 
Jews from Vienna, but afterwards allows them to return—Adventures 
of Sabbathai Sevi, a false Messiah—Sect of the Sabbathaites—The Zo 
harites—Mysterious Character of Frank, their Founder—Remarkable 
Sect of the Chasidim—Their Opinions and Customs—The Jews op¬ 
pressed by Frederick the Great of Prussia—Tumults in England on 
occasion of a Bill for their Naturalization—Career of Moses Melden- 
shon—The “Jerusalem” and the “Phaedon”—Wesseley and Fried- 
lander—Privileges granted to the Jews by Joseph II.—The Callenberg 
Institution, the first Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews 
—Its Labors and Extinction—Efforts of the Moravians—The Jews re¬ 
admitted into France by the Revolution—Napoleon assembles the Grand 
Sanhedrim—His unsuccessful efforts to make Political Tools of the 
Jews. (From A. D. 1560 to A. D. 1806.). 282 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Present State of the Jews—Jews of England—Jews of Germany and 
France—Infidelity prevalent among them—Edicts of the Russian Gov¬ 
ernment—Polish Jews—Karaites in the Crimea—In Lithuania—At 
Constantinople—Affecting Service of those at Jerusalem—Jews at Leg¬ 
horn—Jews in the Papal States—Antipathy between the Greeks and 
Jews—Recent Decree of the Ottoman Porte in favor of the Jews— 
Mehemet Ali—Persecution at Damascus—Attachment of the Jews to 
the Holy Land—Their recent returning to it in considerable numbers— 
Their cities there—Singular Petition of the Polish Jews—Unfortunate 
Condition of the Jews in Persia—The Rechabites—Jews in Yemen and 
Aden—Fate of the Ten Tribes—The Affghans—The Israelites of Da- 
ghistan—The Beni-Israel—Their Customs and Rites—White and Black 
Jews of Cochin—Charter granted to the former by the Emperor of 
Malabar—Curious Version of the New Testament—Jews in Egypt—In 
the Barbary States—In Morocco—In the United States. . . 316 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Missions to the Jews—Societies for their Conversion in the Prussian 
Dominions—Great Success—Converted Jew Professors—Dr. Neander 
—London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews—Labors 
of the Society—Schools in Posen—Mission and Church at Jerusalem— 
Church of Scotland—Deputation to Palestine—Their Report to General 
Assembly—Prospects—Concluding Remarks.402 

Appendix, ... .421 

1 nde x,. 463 





PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


It will perhaps be expected, by the reader of the following 
pages, that something should be said of the history of the 
chosen people previous to the captivity of Babylon; and the 
first thing that suggests itself is the question, Why God should 
have chosen any people, among the millions of the earth’s in¬ 
habitants, as the depositaries of his Word and the recipients 
of his especial favor. 

“God’s ways are not as our ways and it does not become 
us to inquire into what he hath seen fit to withhold from our 
finite faculties and understandings. As well might the child, 
instead of applying himself to arithmetic and grammar, find 
fault with his teacher for not showing him fluxions and the 
calculi. God owes no account of his motives and intentions 
to man. 

Among things revealed, however, we may properly push our 
inquiries; the lessons we have been taught belong to us. It 
does appear that it was God’s will that man should walk up¬ 
rightly, and that, in a brief space, this truth was utterly forgot¬ 
ten ; the whole race, with a solitary exception, being sunk in 
the lowest depths of depravity. Nor did the manifestation of 
his detestation of wickedness in the destruction of mankind, 
with the exception of one family, make any abiding impression 
on that family’s descendants. To preserve mankind from 
moral ruin, therefore, and to prepare them for the coming of 
the Christ, it seems to have been necessary that a people 
should be selected as the depositaries of certain truths, to 
whom other nations might turn for instruction; and for this 
high trust and dignity Abraham and his seed were chosen. 
From what has come down to us of the patriarch’s character, 



20 


PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


it again appears, even to our limited understandings, that he 
was peculiarly qualified for his sublime position. Just was he 
found, and faithful he remained, amidst all the trials of his 
faith. He established the rite of circumcision, to mark his 
posterity, and died, bequeathing the covenant to his son, in 
whose personal history there is little interest; but who appears 
to have served God to the best of his knowledge and abilities. 

By divine appointment, the youngest son of Isaac became 
heir of the promises; and, by a series of occurrences, in which 
the hand of God is every where manifest, the son of the Cana- 
anitish shepherd was attached to the throne of Egypt, and the 
chosen people became many and powerful on the banks of the 
Nile; too powerful; for, by their rapid increase, they were 
likely to have become the ruling race of the land. They were 
dangerous to the Egyptians, and therefore it was the policy of 
the Pharaoh to enslave them, and, by making their religion a 
cause of continual suffering, to drive or seduce them from it. 
“A new king arose, who knew not Joseph;” that is, who was 
not grateful for the services he had rendered. His plan was 
to crush and debase his new subjects bv severe and unrequited 
toil; and, lest this should not thin their numbers fast enough, 
he commanded that all the male infants of the Hebrews should 
be cast into the Nile. In a word that comprehends the sum 
of human miseries, they were slaves. Their sufferings wrung 
from them a cry of distress that reached the throne of Jehovah, 
and he raised them up a deliverer; such a man as appears but 
once in ‘ages, if, indeed, more than one such man has ever 
appeared ; a man combining the zeal of a patriot, the military 
qualities of a warrior, and the wisdom of a philosopher and 
sage. Before Moses, there were governments of men and 
castes; but he was the first to institute a government of laws. 
His genius, with the direct aid of God, suggested remedies for 
all the evils wherewith the Israelites were afflicted, and raised 
them from the abjection into which they had fallen. He led 
them out of bondage and formed them into a republic ; he first 
devised that form of government to which the march of mind, 
after the experience of three thousand years, has brought, or is 
fast bringing, all civilized nations of the earth. For sixteen 






PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


21 


hundred years, crowded with events the most calculated to 
extinguish the little model association he created, sixteen cen¬ 
turies of suffering and persecution, it existed in all its integrity, 
till the hour foretold for the regeneration of the human race. 

God did not take the rescued Israelites directly to Canaan, 
probably because their long servitude had abased the character 
of the then existing generation, and made them comparatively 
ignorant or heedless of the religion of their fathers. There is 
strong evidence of this fact in the first books of the Pentateuch. 
Before they came into contact with the nations of Canaan, it 
was necessary that they should have such proofs of the power 
and protection of their God as would inspire them with confi¬ 
dence for the unequal strife; and they were therefore long 
kept in training for the duties which awaited them and the 
position they were to take. The moral law was given in 
thunder from Sinai, and the tabernacle was reared by special 
direction from the pillar of cloud. At the same time, they 
were taught the necessity and wisdom of trusting in God, by 
constant displays of his power and goodness. All this was not 
sufficient for the first generation out of Egypt; they often 
broke into discontent and rebellion, and therefore were they 
suffered to be consumed in the wilderness. And then, a new 
race of men had sprung up, well instructed in their religion, 
and, his sublime mission accomplished, Moses died. No one 
has raised his monument; he did that himself. What mind 
has so deeply graven itself upon the human mind universal as 
his? Whose spirit has so deeply penetrated into all modern 
law, all modern policy, all forms of civilized society ? Since 
the fall of the Roman empire, there has been no political sys¬ 
tem that has not borrowed, more or less, from that of Moses. 
Christianity and Islamism owe their chief elements to the rev¬ 
elation first promulgated by him. 

Joshua was the worthy successor of Moses, and completed 
the work planned by him. He had no appointed successor; 
as long as the tribes remained in peace, their perfect organiza¬ 
tion required no leader. When war broke out the case was 
otherwise, and different persons were appointed to meet the 
exigency at different times; some of them by God himself 


22 


PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


But, during the rule of the Judges, the tribes retrograded. 
They suffered from civil dissensions and wars, and from the 
natives of the land, whom, in disobedience to the express com¬ 
mand of God, they had neglected to drive out. Religion did 
not prosper; the worship of God was neglected. Samuel re¬ 
stored the affairs of the nation, when at their lowest ebb ; and, 
had he been immortal, or had his virtues been hereditary, it 
might have gone on prospering; but the wickedness of his 
sons disgusted the people, and they clamored for a king. God 
gave them one. 

Saul’s prosperity was as the morning dew. Forsaking the 
Lord, he was forsaken of him, and the nation shared his mis¬ 
fortunes. A better monarch succeeded him — wise in council, 
bold in battle, and sincerely pious withal. Under him, the 
throne may be said first truly to have been established ; the 
empire was widely extended, and religion occupied a proper 
portion of the public attention under his auspices. 

Solomon perfected the work of his father. During the 
reigns of these two monarchs, the Hebrew empire reached its 
zenith, enjoying a degree of prosperity and commanding an 
extent of territory unknown at any former period of its history. 
The people enterprising and industrious — the land richly cul¬ 
tivated— foreign foes held in abeyance—justice dispensed 
with an even hand — all the legitimate wants of the people 
supplied — want and disease almost unknown — the twelve 
tribes linked together in the bonds of a common brotherhood, 
and placed under one compact and wisely-administered govern¬ 
ment— but, above all, the worship of Jehovah, and the pom¬ 
pous ceremonial with which it was celebrated — established the 
Hebrew empire in the respect and admiration of surrounding 
nations, and made it the most powerful and flourishing mon¬ 
archy in Western Asia. The conquests of David had greatly 
extended the kingdom, and produced a salutary awe on tho 
neighboring nations; consequently, the reign of Solomon was 
peaceable. The predominant tribe of Judah lay as a lion which 
no one ventured to rouse up. (Gen. Ixix. 9. Numb, xxiii. 24; 
xxiv. 9.) From the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates, from 
the river of Egypt and the Elanitic Gulf to Berytus, Hamath, 












PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


23 


and Thapsacus, and eastward to the Hagarenes on the Persian 
Gulf — all were subject to the sway of Solomon. The warlike 
and civilized Philistines, the Edomites, Moabites, and Arnmon- 
ites, the nomadic Arabians of the desert, and the Syrians of 
Damascus, were all tributary to him. The encouragement 
given to commerce, and the enterprising spirit of Solomon 
brought immense wealth into the country; and the arts and 
sciences were patronized and fostered by him. Many foreign¬ 
ers, and even sovereign princes, were attracted to Jerusalem 
to see and converse with its illustrious monarch. (1 Kings v. 
9—14; x. 1—13.) The good order observable in all depart¬ 
ments of the state — the systematic despatch of public busi¬ 
ness— the arrangements for security from foreign and domes¬ 
tic enemies — the splendid equipage and retinue of the king 
— the pomp and etiquette of his court — the army, the cavalry, 
the armories, the chariots, the palaces, the temple, the priest¬ 
hood, and the effective administration of civil and ecclesiastical 
affairs, excited as much admiration as the wisdom and learn¬ 
ing of the Jewish monarch. But these days were not to last 
long. Intestine feuds — foreign wars — the oppression and 
misrule of tyrannical princes — the idolatry and wickedness of 
the people, consummated by the rejection of the Messiah, in¬ 
volved them in a series of calamities, through a period of more 
than 900 years, to which history furnishes no parallel. 

At the death of Solomon, the empire suffered a fearful paral¬ 
ysis. The rulers assembled at Shechem, the capital of the 
powerful tribe of Joseph, which had always been the jealous 
rival of Judah. They represented to Rehoboam, the heir to the 
throne, that the people were groaning under a weight of taxa¬ 
tion, and wished to stipulate with him, that he should alleviate 
the burdens which Solomon, his father, had imposed upon them. 
Rehoboam required three days to deliberate on their proposal; 
and, at the expiration of that time, instead of granting their re¬ 
quest, as the older and more prudent of his counsellors urged 
him to do, he rashly refused, and threatened to lay on them a 
heavier yoke, and to govern them in a more arbitrary manner 
than his father had done. This brought on the national crisis; 
ten of the tribes renounced their allegiance, and er^ed them- 


24 


PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


selves into a separate kingdom under Jeroboam, the son of 
Nebat. The tribes of* Benjamin and Judah, adhering to Relio- 
boain, formed what was afterwards called the kingdom of Ju¬ 
dah ,, and of which Jerusalem was the metropolis. Jeroboam 
ruled over ten tribes, together with all the tributary nations us 
far as the Euphrates ; and this was now called the kingdom of 
Israel. The kingdom of Judah comprised all the southern 
parts of the land, including the allotments of Benjamin and 
Judah, together with so much of the territories of Dan and 
Simeon as were intermixed with that of Judah. To this divi¬ 
sion also belonged Philistia and Edom; but the whole of the 
territory which now constituted the kingdom of Judah scarce¬ 
ly amounted to a fourth part of the dominions of Solomon. 

It is remarkable that the kingdom of Israel had not so much 
as one pious king. The curse of Heaven followed the revolted 
tribes, and the kingdom they had set up, monarchs and people, 
were alike degenerate. Having departed from God, they were 
abandoned to idolatry and the worst of vices; and of nineteen 
kings who reigned in Israel, from Jeroboam, the first, to Hoshea, 
the last, the Scripture character appended to each is, that “he 
did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and departed 
not from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused 
Israel to sin.” The accumulated calamities that befell them in 
consequenee of their crimes, failed to effect a general and per¬ 
manent reformation. The impression produced by the re¬ 
peated judgments of Jehovah was fitful as the morning cloud, 
and transient as the early dew. At length, in the reign of Ho¬ 
shea, the measure of their iniquities being full, the wrath of an 
offended God came upon them to the uttermost, and they were 
given as a prey to the Assyrians. Hoshea, though not in all 
respects so degenerate as his predecessors, made no stand 
against idolatry ; and his kingdom had been so rent and weak¬ 
ened by intestine broils during the nine years of anarchy that 
preceded his accession to the throne, that he was unable to 
withstand the Assyrian power. When, therefore, Shalmaneser 
invaded him, he was obliged to become tributary; but, about 
five years after, he imprudently attempted to shake off the yoke, 
and regain his independence. For this purpose, he formed an 









PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


25 


alliance with So, king of Egypt, and imprisoned the Assyrian 
officer who was appointed to collect the tribute. Upon this, 
Shalmaneser laid siege to Samaria, and after three years, during 
which the inhabitants suffered great privations, he gained pos¬ 
session of the city and destroyed it, carried away the king and 
people, and placed them “ in Halah, (Chalachene,) and in Ha- 
bor, by the river Gozan, (on the east side of the Tigris,) and in 
the cities of the Medes,” where Tilgath-Pileser had placed 
their brethren eighteen years before. To supply the place of 
the expatriated Israelites, colonists were brought to Samaria 
from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim. It 
appears also that Esar-haddon afterwards sent other colonists 
into this country. (Compare Ezra iv. 2, and 9, 10.) Thus was 
an end put to the kingdom of Israel, in the sixth year of Hez- 
ekiah, 722 years b. c., and 253 from its commencement under 
Jeroboam. 

The kingdom of Judah, though greatly inferior in population 
and extent, survived that of Israel 134 years. It was favored 
with several pious monarchs, amongst whom were Asa, Hez- 
ekiah, Jehoshaphat, and Josiah ; and, though guilty of frequent 
relapses into idolatry, and violations of the theocratic constitu¬ 
tion, Judah was less uniform in wickedness than Israel, and 
there were intervals when both king and people “ humbled 
themselves before the Lord, and prepared their hearts unto the 
God of their fathers.” During the last twenty-three years of 
the kingdom of Judah, little mention is made of idolatry in the 
historical books ; but from the occasional notices of it by Jere¬ 
miah and Ezekiel, it is evident that at that time it had risen to 
a higher pitch than ever. (See the first ten chapters of Jere¬ 
miah. Ezek. viii. andxi.; xiv. 1—11; xvi. 1—63; xxiii. 1—48; 
xliv. 9, and other places.) 

Repeated attempts were made during the reign of the good 
prince Josiah to purge out the old leaven ot idolatry, and to 
bring back the people to the true worship of Jehovah. He 
aimed at a thorough reformation both of religion and morals; 
destroying not only the more modern seats and altars of idola¬ 
try, but also the ancient high places built by Solomon in the 
time of his apostasy, and the altar made by Jeroboam at Bethel 
2 


PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


26 

He extended his efforts for the disgracing and utter annihila¬ 
ting of the worship of idols, not only to the neighboring tribes 
of Simeon, Ephraim, and Manasseh, but even to the distant 
tribe of Naphtali, and endeavored to render it an object of 
universal disgust and abhorrence. In the eighteenth year of 
his reign, while he was engaged in repairing the temple, the 
manuscript of the law of Moses, which had been lost, was 
found ; and this circumstance materially aided Josiah in his 
pious endeavors to bring back the people to their allegiance 
to Jehovah, in which he was eminently successful. This good 
king was mortally wounded in a battle with Necho, king of 
Egypt, in the Plain of Esdraelon, near Megiddo. 

After the death of Josiah, the kingdom of Judah hastened 
rapidly to ruin. The people raised to the throne Jehoahaz, the 
younger son of Josiah. After three months, Necho, king of 
Egypt, deposed him, made his kingdom tributary, and placed 
on the throne his elder brother Eliakirn, to whom he gave the 
name of Jehoiakim. This unworthy son of Josiah was one of 
the worst kings that ever ruled over Judah. In the fourth year 
of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar, son of Nabopolassar, the king 
of Babylon, having defeated the Egyptian army at Carchemish, 
(on the Euphrates,) marched against Jerusalem, which was 
then under the sovereignty of Egypt. After a short siege, 
Jehoiakim surrendered, but was again placed on the throne by 
the victorious prince. Nebuchadnezzar took some of the ves¬ 
sels and costly furniture of the temple as booty, and carried 
back with him to Babylon several young men, the sons of the 
principal Jewish nobles, among whom were Daniel and his 
three companions, to assist in the service of his court, and at 
the same time to answer the purpose of hostages. From this 
period, namely, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, (606 b. c.,) 
when the first captives were carried away to Babylon, the 
seventy years’ captivity properly commences. (Jer. xxv. 1; 
xlvi. 2.) * Three years after, Jehoiakim, relying probably on 

* Some reckon the commencement of the seventy years’ cap¬ 
tivity from the eleventh year of Zedekiah, when the city and 
temple were destroyed, and the entire population of the country, 






PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


27 


assistance from Egypt, rebelled against Babylon, when ail 
immense army, composed of the Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, 
and Ammonites, who were at that time subject to Babylon, 
marched against Jerusalem. In this war Jehoiakim was proba¬ 
bly slain, and his dead body suffered to lie unburied, as Jere¬ 
miah had predicted. (Jer. xxii. 19 ; xxxvi. 30.) He was suc¬ 
ceeded in the throne by his son Jehoiachin, or Jeconiah; but 
he retained it only three months. Though he surrendered to 
the besiegers, (the Chaldeans,) he was held a close prisoner. 
The wealth of the royal treasury, and the golden utensils of 
the temple procured by Solomon, were carried away to Baby¬ 
lon ; and the captive king himself, his whole court, 2000 nobles 
and men of wealth, 7000 soldiers, 1000 artificers, amounting, 
probably, with their wives, children, and dependants, to forty 
or fifty thousand persons, were led into captivity to the river 
Chebar, (Chaboras,) in Mesopotamia. These captives consti¬ 
tuted, in tact, the flower of the nation, which lost, by their 
removal, the stamina of its strength ; scarcely any, except the 
lower classes of plebeians and rustics, being left behind. Neb¬ 
uchadnezzar placed on the vacant throne of Judah, Mattaniah* 
the uncle of Jehoiachin, and gave him the name of Zedekiah. 
(2 Kings xxiv. 8—18. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 5—8. Jer. xxii. 19; 
xxxvi. 30.) 

Zedeldah solemnly swore allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar by 
the God of his fathers; but, notwithstanding this oath, in the 


with the exception of a few husbandmen, were carried captives to 
Babylon. It is true, that from this era to the fourth of Darius 
Hystaspes, when a decree was issued in favor of the Jews, and 
for resuming the building of the temple, which had been stopped 
by the interdict of Smerdis the Magian, was exactly seventy years. 
But the Scripture account makes these seventy years to commence 
with the fourth of Jehoiakim, when the first captives were carried 
away, and to terminate in the first year of Cyrus, (536 b. c.,) when 
the first decree was issued for liberating the Jews, and rebuilding 
their city and temple. (2 Chron. xxxvi. 22, 23. Ezra i.) — See 
Jahn’s Hist. Hebrew Commonwealth, p. 56, and Mansford’s 
Scripture Gazetteer, p. 212. 


28 


PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


ninth year of his reign, misled by evil counsellors, he raised 
the standard of rebellion, and entered into an alliance with 
Pharaoh-hophra, king of Egypt. The enraged conqueror, with 
his powerful army, was again encamped before the walls of Je¬ 
rusalem ; and now commenced the most important and formi¬ 
dable siege which that city ever sustained, except that of Titus. 
It lasted two years, and during great part of that period the in¬ 
habitants suffered all the horrors of famine. At length the 
Chaldean army were victorious; the city was taken on the 
ninth day of the fourth month, (July,) in the eleventh year of 
Zedekiah’s reign, the eighteenth of the Babylonish captivity, 
and 588 b. c. Zedekiah and the garrison endeavored to make 
their escape by night, but were pursued and defeated by the 
Chaldeans in the plain of Jericho. The king was taken pris¬ 
oner, and conveyed to Nebuchadnezzar, who was encamped at 
Rihlah, in the province of Hamath. He commanded Zedekiah’s 
sons to be murdered before his face; and, after witnessing this 
sad spectacle, his eyes were put out, he was bound with fetters 
of brass, and conveyed to Babylon, where he was kept in pris¬ 
on till his death. Thus was fulfilled, to the very letter, the 
enigmatical prophecy of Ezekiel, that the king should be 
brought to Babylon, and should die there, but should not see the 
place. (Ezek. xii. 13; xvii. 13—21. Jer. xxxvii. 3—10. 2 
Kings xxiv. 18—20; xxv. 1—7. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 11—17.) In 
the following month, Nebuzar-adan, the commander of the royal 
life-guard, was sent to complete the work of destruction. The 
walls and houses of Jerusalem were demolished ; the fortifica¬ 
tions thrown down ; the gold, silver, and brass of the temple 
taken away ; and that noble edifice, the sole remaining monu¬ 
ment of the piety and munificence of Solomon, together with 
the whole city, was set on fire and utterly destroyed. The 
principal inhabitants, as the instigators of the revolt, were put 
to death at Rihlah, and the rest were doomed to exile. (2 Kings 
xxv. 8—21. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 17—21. Jer. lii. 12.) The entire 
population of the city and country, with the exception of a few 
husbandmen, were carried captives to Babylon. Four years 
after, in consequence of the murder of Gedaliah, (the Hebrew 
governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar,) and the Chaldean 


PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 


29 


garrison, the few that remained, 745 in number, were taken 
away by Nebuzar-adan, and the land was entirely bereaved of 
its inhabitants. When the Assyrians depopulated Samaria, 
they filled up the blank by introducing colonists from that 
country. In the present instance, no such measure was taken; 
the Holy City was forsaken, the land lay unoccupied and des¬ 
olate ; and, although tribes of wandering Arabs passed through 
the country, and the ldumseans settled in some of the southern 
parts of it, and beasts of the forests made their lair amid the 
ruined monuments and deserted habitations of Judaea, yet all 
around was one vast scene of desolation—an awful, un¬ 
broken, instructive solitude — proclaiming, with silent yet im¬ 
pressive eloquence, the obstinate wickedness of man, and the 
vindicated majesty of Jehovah, — and reiterating the solemn 
truth, that “ it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the 
living God.” 

To prevent a universal and final apostasy, by which Judah 
might have been sunk among the heathen nations, and all 
guaranty for the preservation of the knowledge of the true 
God have vanished from the world, the Babylonian power was 
raised up to be the scourge of Judah, the avenger of the insult¬ 
ed majesty of Jehovah, and the means of preparing the Hebrew 
people for the future designs of infinite wisdom and mercy 
2 * 


30 


Fallen is thy throne, O Israel. 

Silence is on thy plains. 

Thy dwellings all lie desolate; 

Thy children weep in chains. 

Where are the dews that fed thee 
On Etham's barren shore ? 

That tire from heaven which led thee, 
Now lights thy path no more! 

Lord, thou didst love Jerusalem! 

Once she was all thine own; 

Her love thy fairest heritage, 

Her power thy glory’s throne. 

Till evil came and blighted 
Thy long-loved olive tree, 

And Salem’s shrines were lighted 
For other gods than thee. 

Then sank the star of Solyma; 

Then passed her glory’s day; 

Like heath that in the wilderness 
The wild wind whirls away. 

Silent and waste her bowers 
Where once the mighty trod, 

And sunk those guilty towers 
Where Baal reigned as God. 

“Go,” said the Lord, “ye conquerors! 
Steep in her blood your swords; 

And raze to earth her battlements, 

For they are not the Lord’s; 

Tell Zion’s mournful daughter, 

O’er kindred bones she’ll tread; 

And Hinnom’s hall of slaughter 
Shall hide but half her dead.” 

But soon shall other pictured scenes 
In brighter visions rise, 

When Zion’s sun shall sevenfold shine 
O'er all her mourners’ eyes; 

And on her mountains, beauteous, stand 
The messengers of peace ; 

“ Salvation by the Lord’s right hand! ” 
They shout, and never cease. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


CHAPTER I. 

The Seventy Years’ Captivity—Condition of the Hebrews in Exile—The 

Decree of Cyrus—Return of the Jews, and rebuilding of the City and 

Temple—Conquests of Alexander. 

The only sources of information concerning the condition 
and treatment of the Jews in their captivity are, the writings 
of the contemporary Prophets—Jeremiah, Daniel, and Eze¬ 
kiel, and those Psalms which we have reason to believe were 
written during this period. (Psalms v. x. xiii. xiv. xv. xxv. 
xxvi. xxvii. xxxvi. xxxvii. xlix. liii. lxvii. lxxvii. lxxx. lxxxix. 
xcii. xciii. cxxx. cxxxvii. and perhaps cxxiii.) It is evident, 
from these authentic records, that the captive Hebrews were 
not all equally implicated in the guilt of idolatry. There 
was among them “ a remnant ” of the true spiritual worship¬ 
pers of Jehovah, who, in the midst of the general corruption, 
had steadfastly adhered to the pure principles of the theoc¬ 
racy; though they, in common with the rest, suffered in the 
national calamity. To others, it is probable, this awful vis¬ 
itation was so sanctified, as to bring them to reflection, and 
induce them to renounce that predominant sin which had 
entailed upon them such accumulated miseries. Some, it 
would seem, wished to blend the rites of idolatry with the 
mandates of the Mosaic law; they would not wholly renounce 
the former, and yet retained some degree of reverence for 
Jehovah; (Ezek. xx.;) they “feared the Lord, but served 
their own gods.” It is certain, however, that they never, 
like other transplanted nations, intermingled with the people 
among whom they were settled, but continued a separate 



20 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


race. There were, doubtless, individual exceptions, but the 
nation as such remained distinct. The amalgamation with 
pagans, and the consequent extinction of the Hebrews as a 
peculiar people, was prevented by the rite of circumcision, 
by the prohibition of various kinds of food allowed among 
the heathen, by ceremonial impurities, and by other institu¬ 
tions which were designed to segregate and preserve the 
posterity of Israel as a distinct and prominent nation. The 
presence of Daniel and Ezekiel was doubtless highly bene¬ 
ficial to the captives in Babylon and by the river Chebar, 
and had a tendency to preserve among them the know ledge 
and practice of the true religion. Authority and force were 
given to the exhortations of these holy men by the prophe¬ 
cies which had been so signally fulfilled, or were in course 
of accomplishment at that very time; especially the predic¬ 
tions respecting the downfall of the Assyrian empire, and of 
the city of Nineveh, the rapid rise and extension of the Ba¬ 
bylonian monarchy, the overthrow of Tyre, the destruction 
of Jerusalem, and consequent captivity of the Jews. The 
striking fulfilment of these prophecies, in their minutest de¬ 
tails, was calculated to exalt Jehovah in their estimation, 
and check their idolatrous propensities. Consequently, 
many of the ten tribes in Assyria, Halah, Gozan, and Media, 
were the sincere repentant worshippers of Jehovah; and it 
is difficult to conceive how the Jews in Babylon and by the 
river Chebar could relapse into idolatry, with the severe dic¬ 
tates of experience to admonish them of its evils, and wffiile 
such men as Daniel and Ezekiel were continually and earn¬ 
estly reminding them of that God who claimed their homage. 
Indeed, during the subjection of the Hebrews to the whole- 
some chastisement of a foreign yoke, God pursued them, so 
to speak, with the efficacious dealings of his providence, 
w r ith miracles and prophecies, with judgments and mercies, 
in order to compel them to preserve the true religion, and to 
place them in a situation in which it would hardly be possi¬ 
ble for them to exchange the worship of the Creator and 
Governor of the world for the worship of idols. 

The estimation in which Daniel was held at the court of 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


21 


Babylon, in consequence of his extraordinary prophetic en¬ 
dowments, and the station which he and his three friends 
occupied in the counsels of Nebuchadnezzar soon after their 
settlement in exile, must have had a favorable influence on 
the physical and political condition of the captive nation. 
The image which Nebuchadnezzar set up to the idol Bel, 
gave occasion, indeed, to the enemies of the Jews to seek 
the destruction of Daniel’s three pious friends ; though he 
himself, probably from his elevation to the highest office of 
the empire, appears to have escaped attack. The mirac¬ 
ulous deliverance, however, of these three captives from the 
flames to which they had been condemned, and the myste¬ 
rious appearance of a fourth and superhuman form in the 
furnace, gave a signal triumph to the Jewish religion over 
idolatry. The interpretation of the hand-writing upon the 
wall, by Daniel, in the reign of Belshazzar, was an addi¬ 
tional proof of the supernatural power conferred upon him; 
which was exemplified immediately afterwards in the over¬ 
throw of the Chaldee-Babylonian empire by Cyrus. So 
insecure, however, were the religious liberties of the He¬ 
brews, that Daniel himself, notwithstanding his miraculous 
powers, at length became the victim of the envy of the cour¬ 
tiers, on the pretext of disobedience to a royal decree, which 
they had procured in order to ensnare him, and which pro¬ 
hibited prayer to any deity for thirty days. But the wonder¬ 
ful deliverance of Daniel from the lions’ den, much to the 
satisfaction of the king, was another triumph gained to the 
religion of the Jews. Darius, like his predecessor Nebu- 
chadezzar, publicly proclaimed the greatness and majesty 
of Jehovah, and commanded all the subjects of his empire 
to reverence him. Nor could the marvellous events which 
had occurred in connexion with the captive Hebrews, fail to 
produce their effect on the mind of such a prince as Cyrus, 
their destined deliverer.* 

The condition of the Hebrews while in captivity, was 
far from being one of abject wretchedness. This is 


* Hoppus's Lectures on the Polity and History of the Hebrews, 



22 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


manifest from the circumstance that a pious Hebrew 
prophet held the first office at the court of Babylon,—that 
three devout friends of this prophet occupied important polit¬ 
ical stations,—and that Jehoiachin, the former king of 
Judah, in the forty-fourth year of the captivity, was released 
from an imprisonment which had continued for thirty-six 
years, and was preferred in point of rank to all the kings 
who were then at Babylon, either detained as hostages, or 
present for the purpose of paying their homage to the Chal¬ 
dee monarch. He was treated as the first of the kings ; he 
ate at the table of his conqueror ; and received an annual 
allowance corresponding to his regal dignity. From these 
circumstances of honor a splendor must have been reflected 
back on all the exiles, so that they could neither be ill treated, 
nor despised, nor very much oppressed. They were proba¬ 
bly viewed as respectable colonists, who enjoyed the peculiar 
protection of the sovereign. In the respect paid to Jehoia¬ 
chin, his son Shealtiel, and his grand-son Zerubbabel un¬ 
doubtedly partook. If that story of the discussion before 
Darius, in which Zerubbabel is said to have won the prize, 
be a mere fiction, it is at least very probable that the young 
prince, if he held no office, had free access to the court,—a 
privilege which must have afforded him many opportunities 
of alleviating the unhappy circumstances of his countrymen. 
It is, therefore, not at all surprising that when Cyrus gave 
the Hebrews permission to return to their own country, 
many, and perhaps even a majority of the nation, chose to 
remain behind, believing that they were more pleasantly sit¬ 
uated where they were than what they would be in Judea. 
It is not improbable that the exiles (as is implied in the story 
of Susannah, and as the tradition of the Jew r s affirms,) had 
magistrates and a prince from their own number. Jehoia¬ 
chin, and after him Shealtiel and Zerubbabel, might have 
been regarded as their princes, in the same manner as Joza- 
dak and Jeshua were, as their high-priests. 

At the same time it cannot be denied that their humilia¬ 
tion, as a people punished by their God, was always ex¬ 
tremely painful, and frequently drew on them expressions 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


23 


of contempt. The peculiarities of their religion afforded 
many opportunities for the ridicule and scorn of the Baby¬ 
lonians and Chaldeans, a striking example of which is given 
in the profanation of the sacred vessels of the temple. 
(Daniel v.) By such insults they would be made to feel so 
much the more sensibly the loss of their homes, their gar¬ 
dens, and fruitful fields, the burning of their capital and 
temple, and the cessation of the public solemnities of their 
religion. Under such circumstances, it is not strange that 
an inspired minstrel breaks out into severe imprecations 
against the scornful foes of his nation. (Psalm cxxxvii.) 

If the Israelites were ill-treated in Assyria after the 
overthrow of Sennacherib in Judea, as the book of Tobit 
intimates, this calamity was of short duration, for Senna¬ 
cherib was soon after assassinated. The Israelites of Media 
appear to have been in aT much better condition, since Tobit 
advised his son to remove thither. (Tobit xiv. 4, 12, 13.) 
This is the more probable,*as the religion of the Medes was 
not grossly idolatrous, and bore considerable resemblance to 
the Jewish. Even allowing .that the worship of Ormuzd 
and of guardian angels is not more ancient than Zoroaster, 
this celebrated reformer made his appearance between sixty 
and a hundred years after the arrival of the Israelites in 
Media. In the Zend-Avesta it is often mentioned that the 
reformation of Zoroaster took place under Guspasp, that is, 
Cyaxeres I., who reigned from 642 to 603 B. C., and the Is¬ 
raelites first went to Media, 722 B. C. But the first princi¬ 
ples of the religion of Zoroaster are undoubtedly far more 
ancient, for he himself does not announce his doctrines as 
new, but as the ancient religion purified from abuses. This 
seems to be confirmed by the fact, that in the army of Nebu¬ 
chadnezzar there was found a Habmag , the Desturan Des- 
tur of Zoroaster, that is, a chief of the magi or mobeds. 
(Jer. xxxix. 3.) Consequently this religion had extended 
to Babylon as early as 587 B. C. Moreover, at this early 
period it had penetrated even to Jerusalem, and in the reign 
of Josiah, who came to the throne 642 B. C. and, conse¬ 
quently, before Zoroaster began to publish his doctrines in 


24 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Media, there is mention made of the Persian chariots of the 
sun, and horses of the sun at Jerusalem. 

In the year 539 B. C., Babylon was taken by Cyrus, who 
was then acting as commander-general of his uncle Darius 
the Mede, or Cyaxares II. On the death of Darius, two 
years after, Cyrus became king of the united empire of the 
Medes and Persians ; and the captive Hebrews fell univer¬ 
sally under his government. This great prince was the 
divinely appointed and predicted instrument of their restor¬ 
ation; and the same year which saw him ascend the throne, 
(536 B. C.j) was the last of the captivity. It had been fore¬ 
told by Isaiah, (xliv. 28 ; xlv. 1—4,) that their deliverance 
should be effected by Cyrus. Accordingly, in the first year 
of his reign, he issued a proclamation throughout his empire, 
by a herald and by a written order, that all the Hebrew cap¬ 
tives, without exception, were at liberty to return to the land 
of their fathers, and to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. 
This general permission extended to the ten tribes in Assy¬ 
ria, Halah, Gozan, and Media, as well as to the Jews at 
Chebar and Babylon. As a proof of the sincerity and gene¬ 
rosity of Cyrus in making this offer, he gave up to the re¬ 
turning exiles all the gold and silver vessels of the temple, 
which had been taken away by Nebuchadnezzar, amounting 
to 5,400, (Ezra i. 7—11,) and directed that the expense of 
its erection should be defrayed from the royal treasury ; 
which decree w r as recorded in a written edict found fifteen 
years after in the archives of his palace at Ecbatana. (Ezra 
vi. 1—5.) The procuring of a decree so propitious, is 
doubtless attributable, under the workings of Divine Provi¬ 
dence, to the influence and efforts of Daniel, who stood as 
high in favor with the Persian monarchs as he had done 
with the Chaldeans. Josephus affirms, that Daniel showed 
to Cyrus the prophecies of Isaiah referring to him, and that 
it was the manifest supernatural foreknow ledge evinced by 
these predictions, which were pronounced long before his 
birth, that induced this monarch so readily to grant the re¬ 
quest of his favorite courtier. This is by no means an arbi¬ 
trary conjecture; it is supported by the preamble to the edict 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


25 


of liberation. “ Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia: Jehovah, 
the God of heaven, hath given me all the kingdoms of the 
earth, and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jeru¬ 
salem, which is in Judah.” (Ezra i. 2.) How could Cyrus 
have known this, it he had never read the prophecy of 
Isaiah ? 

In furtherance of the king’s design, Zerubbabel, grandson 
of King Jehoiachin, and Jeshua, a grandson of the high- 
priest Jozadak, assisted by ten of the principal elders, made 
preparations for the journey. They were joined by 42,360 
of the people, whose servants amounted to 7,337, making 
together nearly 50,000. This, according to the usual mode 
of computation, is the number of the men, exclusive of 
women and children ; and it is so stated in Nehem. vii. 7. 
(Compare Ezra ii. 64, 65; Nehem. vii. 66, 67.) The whole 
caravan probably amounted at least to 150,000 persons. 
Many, however, had so far lost their Hebrew feelings and 
predilections, that they preferred remaining in the land of 
their exile, where some of them had obtained comfortable 
settlements, and where most of them had been born. Those 
who wished to return, assembled at an appointed place, ac¬ 
cording to the usual method of collecting a caravan, and 
furnished themselves with provisions and other things neces¬ 
sary for their journey. Their camels, horses, and beasts of 
burden amounted to 8,136. Zerubbabel, the director of the 
caravan, received the sacred utensils which had been restor¬ 
ed, and the donations towards the building of the temple 
from those who remained behind; and he was appointed by 
Cyrus, governor of Judea. Several months were consumed 
in preparation for the journey. Encumbered as they were 
with women, children, and other baggage, they were obliged 
to travel slowly, and their homeward journey occupied four 
months. (Ezra i. 8—11; ii. 63—67 ; vi. 7 ; vii. 9.) They 
could not, therefore, have arrived in Judea before the close 
of the first year of Cyrus ; that is, precisely at the termina¬ 
tion of the seventieth year of the captivity, and the fifty- 
second after the destruction of the temple by Nebuchad¬ 


nezzar. 


S 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


26 


Here it may be right to inquire, whether this return was 
restricted to the remnant of Judah, or were inclusive also of 
the ten tribes, or people of Israel. It has been conjectured 
that many Israelites joined the caravan of Zerubbabel, and 
that others subsequently attached themselves here and there 
to a caravan of merchants, and proceeded to Palestine. 
Some have even gone so far as to assert, that the ten elders 
with Zerubbabel and Jeshua, were the princes of the twelve 
tribes, and that the 12,542, the excess of the grand total 
given by Ezra, (ii. 64,) above the actual sum of the several 
numbers mentioned in the preceding verses, (3—63,) were 
all Israelites. It is, however, a hazardous practice, to travel 
beyond the inspired record, and substitute human conjecture 
for historic evidence. That the decree of Cyrus extended 
to all the captive Hebrews there can be no doubt, and that 
some individuals of the ten tribes availed themselves of the 
royal license is not improbable; but that the main body, or 
any considerable number of them, returned with Zerubbabel, 
is by no means clear. The sacred historians, in their very 
minute and circumstantial accounts of the return from Baby¬ 
lon, make no mention, direct or indirect, of any but the peo¬ 
ple of Judah. There are several passages w hich strongly 
intimate that this restoration was exclusively limited to the 
two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. “Then rose up the 
chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin , and the priests, 
and the Levites, with all them w r hose spirit God had raised, 
to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusa¬ 
lem.” (Ezra i. 5.) “Now these are the children of the 
province that went up out of the captivity, of those which 
had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar , the king of 
Babylon , had carried away unto Babylon , and came again 
unto Jerusalem and Judah , every one unto his city.” (Ch, 
ii. 1.) On the supposition that the Assyrian captives were 
included in the return from Babylon, it is difficult to account 
for the entire silence of Ezra and Nehemiah concerning 
them. They describe with great precision almost every in¬ 
cident connected with that event. The names of the ciders 
and hands of families—the number which each family con- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


27 


tained—the sum of the whole—the various preparations for 
the journey—the number of singers, servants, horses, and 
camels, are carefully specified ; and it is hardly possible that 
an event of such magnitude and moment as the return of ten 
tribes, should be inadvertently omitted from the narration. 
The probability is, that the Israelites, after an absence of 
more than two hundred years, had lost all patriotic attach¬ 
ment to the land of their fathers, and, therefore, felt no in¬ 
clination to relinquish the advantages they then enjoyed for 
the prospect of an uncertain good in Palestine. We must, 
therefore, look for the fulfilment of those prophecies w hich 
foretell the return of the whole nation, the re-union of Judah 
and Israel, their pre-eminent piety and permanently national 
prosperity, to the development of events yet future. 

The pious remnant that returned with Zerubbabel were 
no sooner settled amidst their ancient desolations, than they 
assembled at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Taberna¬ 
cles, erected the altar of burnt-offering amid the ruins of the 
temple, and resumed their customary sacrifices. Early in 
the second year after their return, they proceeded to lay the 
foundations of the new temple with great solemnity. Joyful 
as this occasion was to the younger colonists, who gave ex¬ 
pression to their feelings in shouts of exultation, the old 
people, who had seen the temple of Solomon in all its glory, 
perceiving that the new edifice would be greatly inferior to 
its noble original, wept aloud. The voice of mourning was 
blended with the songs of thanksgiving; “ so that the people 
could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise 
of the weeping of the people.” (Ezra iii. 10—13.) It ap¬ 
pears, indeed, from the record found by Darius, (Ezra vi. 
3,) that Cyrus had directed a sanctuary to be built of twice 
the dimensions of Solomon’s Temple ; but, either the Jew s 
out of modesty chose not to avail themselves of the favor of 
the monarch to its full extent, or were fearful lest they 
should excite the envy of the worshippers of Ormtizd, and 
thereby expose themselves to persecution. Accordingly, 
this second erection was neither so large, so magnificent, 
nor so highly ornamented as that of Solomon. (Ezra iii. 


28 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


12, 13. Compare Haggai ii. 1—10. Ezra vi. 3. 1 Kings 

vi 2.) 

The Samaritans, who were a mixed race, consisting of 
Assyrian colonists intermarried with the remnant of the ten 
tribes, still dwelt in the country, and practised a kind of 
mongrel idolatry ; enrolling Jehovah among their other 
deities, and worshipping him under the form of the golden 
calves. These people offered to assist the Jews in building 
the temple; but, their offer being declined, they made every 
possible exertion to thwart and oppose the work. Though 
they could not induce Cyrus to revoke his decree, yet, by 
secret machinations and open hostilities, they threw so many 
obstacles in the way that the people wm;e dispirited, and the 
work proceeded heavily. (Ezra iv.)^ This gave rise to an 
enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, which, 
strengthened by future provocations, at length terminated all 
friendly intercourse, (John iv. 9,) and has continued with 
more or less virulence to the present day. 

The temple remained in an unfinished state during the 
remainder of the reign of Cyrus, and throughout the reigns 
of Cainbyses and Smerdis—a period of about fourteen years. 
When Darius Hystaspes ascended the throne, there was no¬ 
thing to prevent its completion but the lethargic indifference 
of the Jews themselves. A general apathy had taken pos¬ 
session of them, and they excused themselves for not prose¬ 
cuting the work by saying, “ the time is not come.” Because 
sixty-seven years only had elapsed since the destruction of 
the temple, and they would reckon a period of seventy years, 
according to the duration of the captivity, they concluded 
that “ the set time to favor Zion ” was not yet arrived. 
Hence while they were erecting splendid dwellings for them¬ 
selves, embellishing their apartments with tasteful decora¬ 
tions, and dwelling at ease in their “ceiled houses,” the 
house of God lay waste. In the second year of Darius, the 
prophets Haggai and Zechariah were raised up, whose pow¬ 
erful appeals and rebukes roused the people from their leth¬ 
argy, and the work was once more resumed. (Ezra v. 1. 
Hag. i. 1 15.) Upon this, Tatnai, the Persian governor 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


29 


west of. the Euphrates, demanded to know by what authority 
the building was undertaken. They referred him to the 
decree of Cyrus, and he immediately wrote to Darius to 
have the affair investigated. Darius ordered search to be 
made in the royal archives at Achmetha, (Ecbatana ;) and 
the important document being found, Darius sent a copy of 
it to Tatnai, together with a letter, commanding him not to 
obstruct the building, but zealously to forward it, to defray 
the expenses from the royal treasury, and also to supply the 
priests with such animals as were necessary for the sacri¬ 
fices, with wheat, salt, wine, and oil, from day to day, for 
the Divine service, “that they might offer sacrifices to the 
God of heaven, and pray for the welfare of the king, and of 
his sons.” He further commanded that whoever obstructed 
the execution of this decree, should be crucified and his 
house demolished; and he added an imprecation on all kings 
and people who should attempt to destroy the new temple. 
At length, in the sixth vear of Darius, on the third dav of 
the month Adar, (March,) and about nineteen years after 
laying the foundation, the sacred edifice was completed. It 
was then dedicated with festive solemnities to the worship 
of Jehovah; on which occasion they “offered one hundred 
bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs ; and for a 
sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the 
number of the tribes of Israel.” (Ezra iv. v. and vi.) This 
temple, though inferior in size and external magnificence to 
that reared by Solomon, was destined, according to the pre¬ 
diction of Haggai, to excel it in glory, inasmuch as it was to 
be honored by the presence and personal ministry of the 
Messiah. 

Artaxerxes, (or Ahasuerus,) who succeeded Darius Hys- 
taspes, confirmed to the Jews all the privileges granted by 
his predecessors. He made Mordecai, the Jew, his prime 
minister, and Esther, a Jewess, his queen; and in the 
seventh year of his reign, appointed Ezra, a descendant of 
the family of Aaron, governor of Jerusalem. He also issu¬ 
ed a new proclamation, inviting all the Hebrews in his do¬ 
minion to return to their native land ; and, to induce the 
3* 


30 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


priests and Levites to settle at Jerusalem, lie ordained that 
all who were employed in the service of the temple should 
be exempted from tribute. Ezra was armed with full pow¬ 
ers to rectify all abuses in church and state, to reform the 
institutions of religion, to enforce the observance of the law, 
and to punish the refractory with fines, imprisonment, ban¬ 
ishment, or death. Thus commissioned, he proceeded with 
a caravan of sixteen houses, amounting probably to about 
six thousand persons, to join his brethren in Palestine. Af¬ 
ter a journey of three months and a half, they arrived at 
Jerusalem; the vessels and treasures that had been sent from 
Babylon were deposited in the temple ; the newly returned 
Hebrews offered a solemn sacrifice of thanksgiving to the 
God of their fathers ; and the Persian governors west of the 
Euphrates accredited Ezra’s commission, and readily as¬ 
sisted him in prosecuting its objects. 

Under the wise and pious administration of Ezra, and of 
his successor Neheiniah, a great reformation was effected in 
morals and religion, the languid commonwealth was invigor¬ 
ated, and, notwithstanding the malicious opposition of the 
Samaritans, the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, the men 
working with an implement in one hand, and a weapon of 
war in the other ; after which the city itself gradually rose 
to magnitude and affluence. 

The Jews were now living under their own laws and reli¬ 
gion ; the affairs of both church and state assumed a more 
settled and encouraging aspect ; and from this time, they 
enjoyed, during a period of nearly three hundred years, 
almost uninterrupted prosperity—governed by their high- 
priests, although subject to the kings of Persia, until the 
overthrow of that empire by Alexander. 

This great scourge of the world, the son and successor of 
Philip, king of Macedon, having vanquished the Persian 
army at Issus, in the narrow passes leading from Syria to 
Cilicia, at length came into the neighborhood of Judea, with 
slaughter, fire, and victory in his train. Damascus, the cap¬ 
ital of Syria, was taken ; Sidon had surrendered ; Tyre was 
laid in ashes ; and all the inhabitants of Gaza were either 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS 


31 


put to death, or sold for slaves. This extraordinary con¬ 
queror visited Jerusalem with the intention of consigning it 
to a similar fate ; but was strangely diverted from his pur¬ 
pose, and induced to show the Jews great favor. Josephus 
has given an account of this transaction too singular and in¬ 
teresting to be omitted. 

He says, that when Alexander was besieging Tyre, he 
sent a letter to Jaddua, the Jewish high-priest, “To send 
him some auxiliaries, and to supply his army with provi¬ 
sions ; and that what presents he formerly sent to Darius, he 
would now send to him, and choose the friendship of the 
Macedonians, and that he should never repent of so doing.” 
But the high-priest returned for answer, that “ He had given 
his oath to Darius not to bear arms against him, and he 
would not break it while Darius was in the land of the liv¬ 
ing.” On receiving this answer, Alexander, unused to re¬ 
monstrance, was greatly enraged; and threatened, that as 
soon as he could leave Tyre, which was near falling into his 
hands, he would visit the high-priest in such a manner, as 
should teach all men, through him, to whom they were to 
keep their oaths. The siege of that city being shortly after 
brought to a successful termination, Alexander set out on his 
march for Jerusalem, designing to make an example of the 
priest and the city which had dared to disobey his commands. 
In this distress, Jaddua, who, as well as high-priest, was 
governor of the Jews under the Persian king, assembled the 
people, and ordered them to join with him in making sacri¬ 
fices and supplications to the Almighty to protect them from 
the imminent danger which threatened them. After these 
acts of devotion, it pleased God to direct Jaddua, in a vision 
of the night, to go out and meet the conqueror in his ponti¬ 
fical robes, with the priests in their proper vestments, and all 
the people in white garments ; not doubting the deliverance 
which should be effected for them. Jaddua, accordingly, 
having the next day got ready the sacred procession as in¬ 
structed, awaited the approach of Alexander ; and when he 
understood that he was not far from the city, he went out to 
meet him at a ace called Sapha, an eminence without Je- 


82 HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 

rusalem, which commanded a prospect of the whole country, 
to which place the procession extended the whole way from 
Jerusalem. As soon as Alexander saw this dazzling specta¬ 
cle—the white garments of the multitude shining in the sun, 
the priests clothed in fine linen, and the pontiff in purple and 
scarlet, with his mitre on his head, having the golden plate 
on which the name of God was engraved—he was struck 
with awe, adored that Name, and saluted the high-priest. 
The Jews at the same time surrounded Alexander, and 
saluted him. The kings and others in the train of Alexan¬ 
der were so astonished at this act, and the sudden, and to 
them inexplicable alteration of his purpose, that they sup¬ 
posed him disordered in his mind. Parmenio alone, his 
favorite general, ventured to go up to him, and to ask, 
“ How it came to pass, that, when all others adored him, he 
should adore the high-priest of the Jews?” To which Al¬ 
exander replied, “ I did not adore him, but that God who 
has honored him with his high-priesthood ; for I saw this 
very person in a dream, in this very habit, when I was at 
Dios, in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with my¬ 
self how I might obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me 
to make no delay, but boldly pass over the sea thither, for 
that he would conduct my army, and give me the dominion 
over the Persians: whence it is, that having seen no other 
in that habit, and now seeing this person in it, and remem¬ 
bering that vision, and the exhortation which I had in my 
dream, I believe that I bring this army under the Divine 
conduct, and shall therewith conquer Darius, and destroy 
the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed 
according to my own mind.” After he had thus explained 
his conduct on this extraordinary occasion, he gave his right 
hand to the high-priest, and entered Jerusalem with him in a 
friendly manner ; where he offered sacrifices to God in the 
temple, according to the directions of the high-priest, who 
afterwards showed him the prophecies of Daniel, which 
predicted the overthrow of the Persian empire by a Grecian 
king; when, satisfied that he was the person meant, he de¬ 
parted in assurance of success in his future wars ; having 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


33 


gi anted the Jews the free enjoyment of their laws and reli¬ 
gion, and exempted them every seventh year from paying 
any tiibute, as in that year they neither sowed nor reaped.* 


CHAPTER II. 

Persecutions by Antiochus Epiphanes—The War of Independence—Sub¬ 
jugation of Judea by the Romans—Invasion by the Parthians—Antigo- 
nus Defeat of Antigonus, and Accession of Herod to the Throne of 
Judea. 

At the death of Alexander, Judea, owing to its interme¬ 
diate position, was exposed to the violent collisions which 
took place among the crumbling ruins of his vast but ephe¬ 
meral empire. On the partition of his dominions amongst 
his generals, Jerusalem, with the whole of Syria and Pales¬ 
tine, was allotted to Laomedon, one of Alexander’s officers; 
from whom, however, those districts were wrested shortly 
after by Ptolemy Lagus, king of Egypt. In the frequent 
wars which followed between the kings of Syria and those 
of Egypt, called by Daniel the kings of the north and south, 
Judea belonged sometimes to the one and sometimes to the 
other; the passive victim of the oscillations of fortune. 
This unsettled and turbulent period proved highly favorable 
to disorder and corruption; crime and pillage were every¬ 
where rampant ; law and order were set at defiance ; the 
liigh-priesthood was openly sold to the highest bidder; and 
numbers of the Jews deserted their religion for the idolatries 
of the Greeks. Having been so long under the dominion of 
Grecian monarchs, they had now become familiar with the 


* For an able defence of the credibility of this account, see Examen 
Critique des Historians d’Alexandre, par M. de Sante-Croix; and Jahn’s 
Hist, of the Hebrew Commonwealth, p. 80. 




84 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


customs, literature, and sciences of Greece, and had acquired 
a taste for them. Some even began to look on the idolatrous 
mythology of the Greeks with a favorable eye, and endea¬ 
vored to obliterate their Jewish peculiarities. 

Soon after Antiochus Epiphanes ascended the throne of 
Syria, vigorous efforts were made to bring over the Jewish 
people altogether to the Grecian manners and religion. The 
author of this project was Jesus, a brother of the high-priest 
Onias III. He assumed the Greek name Jason, and basely 
supplanted his brother in the high-priesthood, which he pur¬ 
chased of the king for three thousand six hundred talents. 

o # 

He also offered one hundred and fifty talents for the right of 
establishing a Greek gymnasium at Jerusalem, and the pow¬ 
er of conferring upon the Jews the citizenship of Antioch. 
The design of these innovations was to undermine the an- 
cient religion of his country, and graft paganism on its ruins. 
For three years he labored hard to destroy the Jewish con¬ 
stitution, and assimilate his countrymen to the habits and 
usages of the Greeks. 

In the year 172 B. C. he commissioned his younger brother 
Onias, who had adopted the Greek name of Menelaus, to 
carry the tribute to Antioch, and transact other business with 
the king. But Menelaus, instead of executing his commis¬ 
sion, took this opportunity to supplant his brother ; and, by 
promising the king three hundred talents more than the tri¬ 
bute paid by Jason, obtained a nomination to the high-priest¬ 
hood. This traitor, having solemnly abjured the religion of 
his fathers, and engaged to abolish the Mosaic and establish 
the Grecian religion in its stead, was furnished by the king 
with a force sufficient to expel Jason from the country. 
Menelaus plundered the temple, in order to meet his engage¬ 
ments with the king. This led to a tumult, in which Lysi- 
machus, the agent of Menelaus, was put to death by the 
enraged populace in the treasury of the temple. To the 
venality and utter want of principle displayed by these usur¬ 
pers of the priesthood, may be ascribed most of the calam¬ 
ities inflicted upon the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes. 
Whilst that prince was engaged in the siege of Alexandria, 



HISTORY OF T1IE JEWS. 


35 


a report was spread abroad in Palestine that he was dead. 
Upon this, Jason, with one thousand Ammonites, made an 
attack upon Jerusalem, took possession of the city, and mer¬ 
cilessly slaughtered the citizens who had opposed him; while 
Menelaus secured himself in the castle of Zion. Antiochus 
hearing of this, and enraged at the Jews for rejoicing at the 
false report of his death, hastened to Jerusalem, took it by 
force plundered the city, slew eighty thousand persons, 
men, women, and children—took forty thousand prisoners, 
and sold as many into slavery. As if this were not enough, 
conducted by the traitor Menelaus, he entered the sanctuary, 
uttering blasphemy against God. He plundered the temple 
of all its gold and silver furniture,—the golden altar, the 
candlestick, the table, the pouring vessels, the vials, the cen¬ 
sers, and all the ornaments; and, that he might leave nothing 
behind, he searched the subterranean vaults, and in this 
manner collected and carried away one thousand eight hun¬ 
dred talents of gold. He then sacrificed swine upon the 
altar, and sprinkled the water in which part of the flesh had 
been boiled over the floor of the temple ; thus pouring con¬ 
tempt on the Jewish rites, and bidding defiance to the God 
of heaven. Just two years after, (167 B. C.,) he sent Apol¬ 
lonius into Judea with an army of twenty-two thousand 
men, and commanded him to kill all the Jews who were of 
full age, and to sell the women and young men for slaves. 
(2 Mac, v. 24, 25.) 

These orders were too punctually executed. On the first 
Sabbath after his arrival, he sent out his soldiers with orders 
to cut down all the able-bodied men whom they met, and to 
capture the women and children. Great multitudes were 
slain ; their houses were set on fire or pulled down ; and the 
city walls demolished. The castle was strengthened and 
garrisoned with troops j and, as it commanded the temple, 
the Jews were unable to attend public worship. The sanc¬ 
tuary was defiled witty blood ; the miserable inhabitants of 
the city fled ; and the sacrifices ceased, after having been 
pffered, without interruption, during three hundred and six¬ 
ty-nine years since the return from Babylon, It was on this 


36 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


occasion that Judas Maccaboeus retired into the wilderness 
with his father and his brethren. (2 Mac. v. 29.) 

These misfortunes were but preludes of what they were to 
suffer ; for Antiochus, apprehending that the Jews would 
never be constant in their fidelity to him, unless he compelled 
them to change their religion and conform to that of the 
Greeks, issued an edict, forbidding their sacrifices, their fes 
tivals, the temple-service, and the observance of the Sabbath, 
and commanding them to worship idols, and to acknowledge 
no religion but that of the king. The statue of Jupiter 
Olympius was set up on the altar, and a smaller altar was 
erected upon it to be used in sacrificing to the heathen gods; 
thus “the abomination that maketh desolate” was seen in 
the temple of God. (Dan. xi. 31.) Circumcision, the keep¬ 
ing of the Sabbath, and every other observance of the law, 
were now' made capital offences. All the copies of the 
sacred books that could be found were taken away, defaced, 
torn in pieces, or burnt. Groves were planted, idolatrous 
altars built in every city, and the people were required to 
offer sacrifices to the heathen gods, and to eat swine’s flesh 
every month on the birth-day of the king; and, at the feast 
of Bacchus, they were commanded to be crowned with ivy, 
and walk in procession. All who refused to obey these or¬ 
ders were put to death without mercy. Two women, w r ith 
their infant children, whom they had circumcised with their 
own hands, were thrown from the battlements on the south 
side of the temple into the awful abyss below. Officers 
were sent into all the towns, attended by bands of soldiers, 
to compel obedience to the royal edict; and never before had 
the Jews been subjected to so cruel a persecution. At Anti¬ 
och, the venerable scribe Eleazer, and the pious mother with 
her seven sons, were put to death with the most cruel tor¬ 
tures. (2 Mac. vi. and vii.) On another occasion about one 
thousand men, who had concealed themselves in a cave not 
far from Jerusalem, were massacred on the Sabbath without 
offering the least resistance. 

i These enormities at length roused the slumbering spirit of 
the nation, and fanned the smouldering embers of iridepen 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


37 


dence into the flame of rebellion. Mattathias* and his sons 
had fled to the mountains ; there they were joined by those 
Jews who still held their insulted religion in reverence. 
This heroic man, the father of five sons equally eminent for 
piety and resolution, encouraged the people, by his example 
and exhortations, to “ stand up for the law,” and shake off 
the yoke of their oppressors ; and, having collected a valiant 
band of about six thousand men, undertook to free Judea 
from the despotism of Syria, and restore the worship of the 
God of Israel. Putting himself at the head of his adherents, 
Mattathias emerged from his concealment—went through 
the Jewish cities—demolished the idolatrous altars—circum¬ 
cised the children—slew the Syrian officers and the apostate 
Jews—recovered from the Syrians the copies of the law 
which had not yet been destroyed—and laid the foundation 
of a still more organized and effective revolution ; but being 
very old when he entered upon this arduous enterprise, he 
did not live to see its completion. At his death (165 B. C.) 
he appointed Judas, his third and bravest son, military lead¬ 
er ; and associated with him Simon, his second and more 
prudent son, as a counsellor. Judas, on account of his 
heroic exploits and high daring, received the surname of 
Maccabaeus (luaKOBi, the Hammerer.) He is, however, 
most generally supposed to have derived this name from a 
cabalistic word, formed of M. C. B. I. the initial letters of 
the Hebrew text, Mi C hamokr B aelim Jehovah , i. e. who 
among the gods is like unto thee, O Jehovah ? (Exod. xv. 
11:) which letters might have been displayed on his sacred 
standard, as the letters S. P. Q. R. (S enatus P opulus Q ,ue 
R omanus) were on the Roman ensigns.f 

After defeating the Syrians in several successive hard- 
fought battles, and taking possession of the most important 


* Mattathias was surnamed Asmon, whence was derived the appellation 
Asmonaeans, borne by the line of princes descended from him, who so 
valiantly conducted and brought to a successful issue the Jewish war of 
independence. 

f Dr. Hales’s Analysis of Chronology, vol. i. p. 599. 

4 



S3 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


fortresses, he drove them out of the country. He then pro¬ 
ceeded to repair and purify the temple, which was in a di¬ 
lapidated and desolate condition. The gates and the priests’ 
apartments had been pulled down, and the once-frequented 
courts were deserted and grass-grown. Judas purified the 
sacred enclosure by removing every vestige of heathenism. 
The altar, having been defiled by idolatry, was taken away, 
and a new one erected; new utensils were also provided for 
the sacred service ; the sacrifices were resumed; and the 
temple restored to the pure worship of Jehovah, after exact¬ 
ly three years’ defilement by the Gentile idolatries. A sacred 
festival was held for eight days, with great rejoicings ; and 
it was resolved to celebrate an annual feast in commemora¬ 
tion of this event. 

The arms of Judas, and of his brother Simon, were still 
successful, whether employed to repress the outrages and 
incursions of the Idumteans, the Baianites, and Ammonites, 
or to punish the Syro-Phoenicians, and the nations eastward 
of the Jordan, who confederated to destroy the Jews of Gal¬ 
ilee and Gilead. Judas Maccabaeus was slain in battle, and 
his brother Jonathan succeeded him in the government. He 
was also made high-priest, and from that time the Asmonaean 
princes united the princedom and the pontifical dignity in 
their own persons. They were so successful, by their valor 
and address, that in a few years they not only threw off the 
Syrian yoke, and recovered the independence of their coun¬ 
try, but also regained almost all the possessions of the twelve 
tribes, destroyed the celebrated Samaritan temple on Mount 
Gerizim, which had been dedicated to Jupiter Xenios,* sub¬ 
dued the Idumaeans and Ituraeans, made themselves respected 
by all the neighboring nations, and secured the favor and 
friendship of the Roman senate. In the year 143 B. C., 
Demetrius Nicator, the reigning king of Syria, relinquished 


* Jupiter Xenios, (the protector of strangers,) so called because the 
Samaritans, in their letter to Antiochus, had declared that they were not 
Jews but strangers, and that they were willing to renounce Judaism and 
adopt the polytheism of the Greeks 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


39 


all future claims on Judea for tribute, publicly acknowledged 
Simon as prince and high-priest of the Jews, and solicited 
his friendship. Thus, after a war of a quarter of a century, 
carried on with several successive kings of Syria, this illus¬ 
trious family succeeded in subduing their tyrannical oppres¬ 
sors, and established the independence of Judea. A general 
assembly was held at Jerusalem, (141 B. C.,) in which the 
people, out of gratitude to the house of Mattathias, made 
both the regency and the high-priesthood hereditary in the 
family of Simon. This decree of the assembly was engrav¬ 
ed on plates of copper, and fixed to a monument erected in 
the temple. (1 Mac. xiv. 25—49.) Simon was treacherously 
assassinated in the castle of Jericho by his own son-in-law, 
Ptolemy, who aimed at the sovereignty. His ambitious 
design was, however, defeated by the accession of Hyrcanus. 
At his death, Hyrcanus left the princedom to his wife ; but 
Aristobulus, his oldest son, soon usurped the government, 
and, as his mother refused to relinquish her claim, he threw 
her into prison, where she died of starvation. 

He also imprisoned his three younger brothers ; and hav¬ 
ing by these violent measures seated himself in the govern¬ 
ment, he assumed the diadem and the regal title, and was 
proclaimed King of the Jews ; thus uniting the supreme 
sovereignty with the priesthood—an event which had been 
predicted by Zechariah four hundred years before. (Zech. 
vi. 9—15.) This dignit} 1- was enjoyed by his successors for¬ 
ty-two years, when, a dispute having arisen between Hyrca¬ 
nus II. and his brother Aristobulus, the sons of Alexander 
Jaddfeus, relative to the succession of the crown, both par¬ 
ties applied to the Romans to decide the quarrel. Scaurus, 
the Roman general, suffered himself to be bribed by Aristo¬ 
bulus, and placed him on the throne. Not long after, Pom- 
pey came to Damascus, and ordered the rival brothers to 
appear before him. Each of them brought witnesses to 
attest his claim, while others protested against them both, 
and accused them of having violated the national constitu¬ 
tion, and perpetrated other enormities. Pompey deferred 
giving a final decision, and Aristobulus retired in high dud- 


40 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


geon, to make further preparations for war. Pompey con¬ 
sidered this as a favorable opportunity for reducing Palestine 
under the power of the Romans. Accordingly, he marched 
his army into Judea ; Aristobulus was taken prisoner, but 
his party took refuge in the temple, and defended themselves 
with great bravery for three months. At length a breach 
was made, and the temple taken. Twelve thousand Jews 
were put to the sword, including many priests ; for the 
calamities of the siege had not been allowed to interrupt the 
daily service, and the appointed rites were going on as 
though nothing had happened, even at the moment when the 
murderous Romans were rushing into the temple ; so that 
the priests were slain in the very act of burning incense and 
presenting offerings to Jehovah, and their blood was mingled 
with the sacrifices. Pompey created Hyrcanus High-priest 
and Prince of the Jews, but would not allow him to take the 
title of king 

By this event, Judea was reduced to the condition of a 
province of the Roman empire, in the year 63 B. C. Julius 
Caesar having defeated Pompey, confirmed Hyrcanus in the 
priesthood, but changed the form of the civil government 
from a monarchy to an oligarchical republic. (54 B. C.) 
Judea was divided into five cantons or provinces ; each of 
which had an executive council appointed for its government. 
Thus was established the vassal aristocracy of the Jews, 
which lasted about ten years. 

On Caesar’s return from his expedition in Egypt, (44 B.C.) 
in which the troops sent by Hyrcanus had been of eminent 
service to him, he dissolved the aristocracy, reinstated Hyr¬ 
canus in all his former dignity, and allowed him to resume 
his former title of Prince of the Jews. Antipater was made 
procurator of Judea, his eldest son, Phasael, was appointed 
governor of Jerusalem, and his next son, Herod, governor 
of Galilee. Shortly after, Antigonus, son of the late king, 
Aristobulus II., invaded the country, with a view to obtain 
his father’s throne. In this attempt, he was assisted by his 
relative the prince of Chalcis, by the king of Tyre, and also 
by the Parthians, then rising into a formidable power, and 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


41 


contending with the Romans for the empire of the East. 
Hvrcanus and Phasael were made prisoners by this people, 
but Herod contrived to escape, and fled to Rome. His cause 
was warmly espoused by Mark Antony, who, with the con¬ 
currence of Octavius and the Roman senate, made him sole 
ruler of Judea, with the title of king : (37 B. C.:) which 
title was afterwards confirmed by Augustus. When Herod 
arrived in Judea, the Parthians having placed Antigonus on 
the throne, had evacuated Syria, and retired across the Eu¬ 
phrates. The crown of Palestine was now sharply contested 
between Herod and Antigonus ; and, for the space of three 
years, ths unhappy country became once more the theatre of 
a sanguinary intestine war. The miseries attending it were 
considerably aggravated by the venality and duplicity of 
some of the Roman generals who were sent to assist Herod; 
by the fury which they and their soldiers vented against the 
Jews ; and by the fierce and unequal conflicts which Herod 
had to maintain with the banditti that infested the mountain¬ 
ous districts of Galilee, who were so numerous that they 
formed a regular army, and engaged in pitched battles, plun¬ 
dering and ravaging the neighboring country. While the 
contest for the throne was still undecided, Herod married 
Mariamne, the daughter of Alexander, the son of King 
Aristobulus, by Alexandra, the daughter of Hyrcanus II. 
By this opportune alliance with the Asmonasan family, so 
highly esteemed by the Jews as the authors of their former 
independence, Herod hoped to secure their good will and 
confidence. After several campaigns, attended with various 
success on both sides, Herod, assisted by the Syrian and 
Roman army, attacked Antigonus at Jerusalem. The Ro¬ 
man troops amounted to eleven legions, besides the Syrian 
auxiliaries, and six thousand cavalry. But notwithstanding 
all the exertions of so numerous an army, the city was not 
taken till the following year, (34 B. C.) So enraged were 
the Romans by the obstinate defence of the city, and so 
furious were the Jews of Herod’s party against those of 
Antigonus, that when all resistance had ceased, the besiegers 
followed up their victory by universal pillage, and an indis- 
4* 


42 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


criminate and exterminating massacre ; so tnat Herod re¬ 
peatedly asked Sosius, the Roman general, whether he 
intended to leave him “ king of a desert ? ” and, in order to 
stay the massacre, and save the city from total destruction, 
was compelled to pay him a large sum of money. Antigonus 
was sent to Antioch, and there beheaded by order of Antony, 
with whom ended the line of Asinonsean priests and princes, 
after they had held the government, independently, and un¬ 
der the Romans, upwards of a century. 


CHAPTER III. 


Reign of Herod the Great—Aichelaus—Herod Antipas—Herod Philip— 
King Agrippa—Agrippa the Tetrarch—Pontius Pilate—Antonius Felix 
—Porcius Festus—Albinus—Gessius Florus. 


The civil war having terminated in the destruction of the 
Asmonaean dynasty and the ascension of Herod to the throne, 
placed Judea under a cruel and sanguinary despotism. The 
new king, who had previously been the object of great dis¬ 
like to the nation, rendered himself every day more detesta¬ 
ble and more detested by his heartless cruelties. Magnificent 
in his notions of royalty ; endowed with great talents and 
enterprise ; successful in his schemes of ambition, and pos¬ 
sessing a plausible and specious exterior, he acquired the 
surname of the Great ; but his deep duplicity—his restless 
jealousy—his want of all natural affection—his cold-blooded, 
revolting, murderous selfishness—his slavery to furious pas¬ 
sions—his readiness to sacrifice every claim, and every obli¬ 
gation, to his ideas of state policy, and his love of power— 
have made his name a by-word for base, reckless, and un¬ 
bridled despotism ; and mark him out in the page of history, 
as worthy to be ranked among the Caligulas and Neros of 
Rome. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


43 


Herod began his reign by seizing on the treasures of the 
wealthy, in order to furnish himself with the means of pur¬ 
chasing the future services of Antony, and his other friends. 
He also put to death all the members of the Sanhedrim, or 
Great Council, excepting Pollio and Sameas, who were his 
partisans. Ananel, a Babylonish Jew, without influence to 
render him formidable to a tyrant, was appointed high-priest; 
and Hyrcanus, who, in consequence of his having been 
maimed, could no longer claim that office, was insidiously 
inveigled to Jerusalem from the east, in order that no danger 
might arise from that quarter to the usurped throne, and 
that the aged ex-king and priest might be within the imme¬ 
diate reach of the fangs of the royal monster. At the earn¬ 
est entreaty of Mariainne, and by the agency of her mother 
Alexandra, Ananel was deposed from the priesthood ; and 
Aristobulus, Mariamne’s brother, a youth seventeen years 
of age, was placed in his stead. This appointment gratified 
the people, in consequence of their regard for the Asmoneean 
family ; but Herod, who could not endure even the shadow 
of a rival, was soon stung with envy and jealousy at the 
popularity of the youthful high-priest, and basely contrived 
that he should be drowned while bathing, which was effected 
by the royal servants holding him under water, as if in sport. 
Herod, with the most consummate hypocrisy, pretended 
great sorrow for the event, and made for his murdered broth¬ 
er-in-law a magnificent funeral. Alexandra persuaded Cleo¬ 
patra, the celebrated queen of Egypt, to use her influence 
with Antony to punish the king ; but bribery secured Anto¬ 
ny’s connivance, and Herod went on to fill up the measure 
of his iniquities. 

To detail the murders which were perpetrated by this 
hateful and capricious tyrant, would fill a volume ; and de¬ 
generate must have been that people who could tolerate such 
a king. His uncle Joseph was the next victim, in conse¬ 
quence of his having communicated to Mariamne the secret 
orders left by Herod when he set out to go to Antony ; Her¬ 
od having commanded that in case Antony should condemn 
him for the murder of Aristobulus, Joseph should have Ma- 


44 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


riamne put to death, to prevent her falling into the power of 
the licentious triumvir. Herod, putting a jealous construc¬ 
tion on the fact of Joseph’s revealing to Mariamne the secret 
intrusted to him, flew upon her in a fit of rage with a drawn 
sword ; but the sudden return of his love towards her, which 
was second only to his despotic pride and ambition, saved 
her life. Joseph, however, was executed, and Alexandra 
was imprisoned. 

The nations of the world, and its rulers, appear, at this 
period, almost to have vied with each other, in presenting 
examples of perfidy, licentiousness, and inhumanity ; and 
Judea, and the whole Roman empire, were alike prepared 
by their deep and extensive demoralization, for the approach 
of that illustrious light, which was to enlighten the Gentiles, 
and to be the glory of Israel. 

The rapacious and wicked Cleopatra, not content with the 
numerous countries she had received from the effeminate 
and voluptuous Antony, longed for the possession of Judea ; 
and actually obtained from the triumvir the gift of the most 
fruitful parts of the country, the whole being still a depen¬ 
dency of Rome. Herod was compelled to redeem the alien¬ 
ated territory by an annual tribute. Cleopatra, who had 
repeatedly labored to number Herod among the victims 
whose lives she sacrificed to her ambition, now paid him a 
visit at Jerusalem, in order, if possible, to entangle him in 
her snares. Herod was disgusted at the attempt, and would 
have found occasion of putting her to death, but for the 
dread of Antony ; which induced him to seek to avert her 
malice and revenge, by making her large presents, and treat¬ 
ing her with every external mark of respect. After Antony 
had lost the battle of Actium, Herod advised him to put 
Cleopatra to death ; and, by seizing on her treasures, to 
raise a new army for the establishment of his power : but 
as Antony did not follow his advice, Herod went over to the 
conqueror Octavius, subsequently the Emperor Augustus. 

The mild and venerable Hyrcanus, who had once saved 
Herod’s life, now feeling insecure against his caprice and 
jealousy, endeavored to escape from Jerusalem ; but he was 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


45 


seized and put to death, lest he should attempt to raise a 
party, and regain the crown. Before Herod left Judea to 
proceed to Octavius, Mariamne and Alexandra were shut 
up in the castle of Alexandrium ; and the king left orders 
that, if he should lose his life previously to his return, they 
should both be put to death. It was no wonder that these 
alarming demonstrations of Herod’s willingness to sacrifice 
everything to his ambition, his jealousy, and his dread of the 
Asmonasans resuming the throne, should effectually alienate 
from him the affections of his wife. Finding that she was 
acquainted with the savage manner in which he intended to 
exhibit his capricious attachment to her, Herod rashly charg¬ 
ed her with infidelity. The beautiful and virtuous Mariamne 
was condemned, and publicly executed; and her mother Al¬ 
exandra soon shared a similar fate. 

The sanguinary tyrant, agonized with remorse, and with 
torturing emotions of love for his murdered wife, became 
more violent and ferocious than ever; and did not hesitate 
to sacrifice to his suspicions his most confidential friends. 
By the destruction of the sons of Babas, shortly after, the 
only surviving branches of the Asmonaean family were cut 
off. In the mean time, Judea was repeatedly visited with 
calamities, which, in other times, might have proved salutary 
warnings to a wicked king and an ungodly nation. In the 
fifth year of this reign, an earthquake had destroyed several 
thousand individuals. Soon after the death of Mariamne, a 
raging pestilence swept away multitudes. Three years 
afterwards, a famine, followed by another pestilence, deso¬ 
lated the country ; and Herod gained a temporary popularity, 
by endeavoring to alleviate the distresses of his subjects, at 
his own expense. 

About this time, he introduced many things that were 
totally at variance with the laws, customs, and religion of 
the Jews. He erected a Roman amphitheatre at Jerusalem, 
in which were exhibited wrestling matches, combats between 
men and wild beasts, and other heathen practices. Many 
of the Jews, degenerate as the nation had become, were 
much disgusted with these innovations ; and Herod was 


46 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


near being assassinated by means of a conspiracy of the 
most desperate. The Pagan temples which he built in sev¬ 
eral places, as a compliment to his Roman constituents, 
raised the dissatisfaction of the people to the highest pitch ; 
and open commotion was only prevented by the prohibition 
of public assemblies, by a system of espionage, and by a 
series of public executions and secret murders. 

This infidel king, who had already gratified his taste for 
architecture by erecting idolatrous temples, now resolved to 
make an effort to propitiate the Jews by rebuilding the tem¬ 
ple at Jerusalem, on a more extensive and magnificent plan 
than that of the existing edifice. The Jews, however, hav¬ 
ing no confidence in Herod, would not consent to the pulling 
down of the old building, till they saw all the materials col¬ 
lected for the new one. The main part of the edifice was 
finished in nine years and a half; but Herod and his succes¬ 
sors were continually adding to the outworks and ornaments; 
so that the whole building was not completed till forty-six 
years from the commencement. (John ii. 20.) 

Herod now sought popularity by procuring certain privi¬ 
leges from the Roman government for the foreign Jews ; 
but he ceased not to make himself detested on account of his 
monstrous cruelties. His two sons, Alexander and Aristo- 
bulus, had been heard to utter some remarks respecting the 
execution of their mother, which had been told to Herod, 
with exaggerations, by his sister Salome, and by Antipater, 
the son of his former wife Doris. The young princes were 
only saved, for this time, by the verdict of the Emperor Au¬ 
gustus ; who, having examined the charged, acquitted them 
of guilt. Continual disquietudes arose in Herod’s family 
from the same cause, for about five years ; when this unna¬ 
tural father suffered his mind to be so incensed against his 
children, that he procured their trial and condemnation ; and 
three years before the Christian lera, they were put to death 
by strangling ; though they could be convicted of no greater 
crime than that of purposing to save their lives by flight. 

The closing scenes of Herod’s reign were in harmony 
with all that had preceded, and exhibited little else than a 








HISTOIIY OF THE JEWS. 


47 


tissue of crimes and miseries. An unsuccessful plot was 
laid by his son Antipater and his brother Pheroras, to carry 
him off by poison. Pheroras, soon after, died ; and Anti¬ 
pater was imprisoned. Several Pharisees, for having en¬ 
couraged Pheroras to aspire to the crown, were put to 
death. 

In the midst of these distractions in the family of Herod, 
and within a year of the termination of his reign, the Lord 
Jesus Christ was born at Bethlehem. The general expec¬ 
tation which prevailed at this time among the Jews, of the 
advent of the Messiah, though their views respecting him 
were so erroneous, accounts for the anxietv that was felt at 
Jerusalem on the arrival of the Magi; and for the agitation 
of Herod, when he knew of their inquiry, “Where is he 
that is born King of the Jews ? ” Conscious that he was not 
the rightful heir to the Asmonsean crown, and that his throne 
had only stood by the artificial support given to it by the 
Romans, he dreaded a rival to himself or to his dynasty ; 
and with that murderous jealousy that was so characteristic 
of him, he commanded the massacre of all the male infants 
of Bethlehem who had been born within a certain time of 
the appearing of the miraculous star. So remarkable a pro¬ 
digy did not overawe him, though he seems to have believed 
in the fact of its appearance ; nor did he pause to consider 
the testimony which it gave to the truth. Such is the blind¬ 
ing, hardening nature of sin ! 

But the curtain was now about to fall over the tragedies 
of this tyrannic and cruel reign. Herod was seized with a 
violent and loathsome disease, which left no prospect of re¬ 
covery. While suffering under its rapid progress, he order¬ 
ed the execution, by burning and otherwise, of forty Jews ; 
who, having religious objections to the golden eagle which 
Herod had placed over one of the gates of the temple, tore 
it down. The noble declaration of these men to the king 
himself, that they were “ ready to suffer anything for the 
sake of their religion,” shows that there were still, among 
the Jews, those who firmly cleaved to the laws and the spirit 
of their best forefathers. 


48 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Though Herod himself was now aware that there was no 
hope of his recovery, his disposition remained the same. 
The agonies of his conscience ; the torture occasioned by 
his disease ; the distractions of his family ; and his con¬ 
sciousness of being detested by the Jews, seemed only to 
exasperate the inveterate inhumanity and cruelty of his tem¬ 
per. He commanded that, immediately after he breathed 
his last, all the principal men of the Jewish nation should be 
massacred, in order that there might be mourning at his 
death ! Rendered desperate by pain of body and anguish 
of mind, the w retched man attempted to commit suicide, but 
was prevented. He now ordered the execution of his son 
Antipater ; and, five days afterwards, expired.* 

Herod, at his death, divided his kingdom by will among 
three of his sons, who had been so fortunate as to escape 
being murdered by the hands of their father : namely, Arch- 
elaus, Herod Antipas, and Herod Philip. To Archelaus he 
assigned Judea, Samaria, and Idurmea, with the title of king ; 
to Herod Antipas he gave Galilee and Percea, with the title 
of tetrarch ; and to Philip, Batanaea, Gaulonitis, Trachonitis, 
and Paneas.f Augustus ratified the will of Herod, as re¬ 
spected the division of his kingdom, but refused to Arche¬ 
laus the royal title, giving him instead, that of Ethnarch, or 
chief of the nation. His reign w as turbulent and tyrannical, 
and caused much trouble to the Romans, in consequence of 
the repeated insurrections w hich his arbitrary conduct occa¬ 
sioned. In the tenth year of his reign (12 A. C.,) complaints 
were made against him for mal-administration : he was 
accused before Augustus, deposed and banished to Vienne, 
in Gaul. Augustus united Judea and Samaria to the Roman 
province of Syria, and appointed Coponius procurator of 
Judea. The property of Archelaus was confiscated, and a 
new census taken in order to apportion the tribute. (Luke ii. 
1—5.) 


* Lectures on the Polity and History of the Hebrews, by Professor 
Hoppus, pp. 158—166. 

f The mountainous districts of Zenodorus. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


49 


Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee/ is described by 
Josephus as a crafty and incestuous prince. It was he, who 
having repudiated his wife, the daughter of Aretas, king of 
Arabia, forcibly took away and married Herodias, the wife 
of his brother Philip ; to gratify whom, he caused John the 
Baptist to he beheaded, he having reproved them for their 
illegal and incestuous marriage. It was this Herod, also, 
that laid snares for our Savior, who, knowing his subtle 
designs, termed him a fox. (Luke xiii. 32 .) Some years 
afterwards, Herod, aspiring to the regal dignity, was banish¬ 
ed to Lyons, in Gaul, and his tetrarchy annexed to the ter¬ 
ritories of Agrippa. 

Herod Philip, though he had his princely foibles, was an 
amiable man, and a humane governor. After a reign of 
thirty-seven years, dying without issue, his territories were 
appended to the Roman province of Syria. His name oc¬ 
curs but once in the New Testament. (Luke iii. 1.) 

Besides these immediate descendants of Herod, there were 
two others who succeeded to a fresh arrangement of his 
kingdom. These were Agrippa senior, and Agrippa junior 
—both mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Agrippa, the 
elder, or Herod Agrippa, was the son of Aristobulus, one of 
the sons of Herod, by Mariamne, who was put to death by 
his unnatural father. During the early part of his life he 
resided at Rome as a private person, and contrived to ingra¬ 
tiate himself into the favor of the Emperor Tiberius; but, 
subsequently, falling into disgrace, he was thrown into pris¬ 
on, where he remained till the accession of Caligula, who 
released him, and gave him the tetrarchy of his uncle Philip; 
namely, Trachonitis, Gualonitis, and Batanaea, with the title 
of king; to which countries the Emperor Claudius after¬ 
wards added Abilene, Judea, and Samaria : so that he be- 


* The word Tetrarch, in its grammatical sense, implies the governor of 
a quarter, or the fourth part of a province j but it was afterwards conven¬ 
tionally used to designate the governor of a district, or subdivision of 
country, whether such district were the fourth part of a province or other¬ 
wise. Herod’s kingdom, for instance, was divided into only three parts. 

5 



50 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


came sole king of the Jews, and reigned over a greater extent 
of territory than his grandfather, Herod the Great, had 
done. This is the Agrippa, or “ Herod the King,” as he is 
termed, (Acts xii. 1,) who put to death the apostle James, 
and imprisoned Peter, in order to sustain his popularity with 
the Jews. Soon after, he went to Cesarea, and there cele¬ 
brated games in honor of the Emperor Claudius, his patron 
and benefactor. On the second day of the games, he ap¬ 
peared in the theatre very early in the morning, arrayed in a 
magnificent robe of silver, to give audience to the Tyrians 
and Sidonians. At the close of his oration, the multitude, 
dazzled by the splendor of his appearance, saluted him as a 
god, according to the customs of that period. Because he 
did not repel this idolatrous salutation, and ascribe his great¬ 
ness to its true source, he was smitten with an incurable dis¬ 
ease , “ and he was eaten of worms, and (five days after) 
gave up the ghost.” Acts xii. 23.) * 

The younger Agrippa, at the time of his father’s death, 
was only seventeen years of age ; and being judged unequal 
to the task of government, his father’s dominions were unit¬ 
ed to Syria, of which province Cassius Longinus was made 
prefect. (45 A. C.) In this year, during the procuratorship 
of Fadus, commenced the grievous famine referred to in 
Acts xi. 28. Agrippa was made king of Chalcis, in exchange 
for which kingdom, Claudius subsequently gave him the 
tetrarchy which had formerly belonged to Philip ; the rest 
of Judea still remaining under the government of the Roman 
procurator. It was before this Agrippa, and his sister Bere¬ 
nice, that St. Paul delivered his eloquent defence, which 
almost persuaded the king to become a Christian. (Acts 
xx vi.) 

Palestine—including Judea Proper, Samaria, and Galilee 
—may now be considered as solely under the government of 
the Roman procurators :f the first of whom, to go back a 


* Josephus, Antiq. xix. 7, 3, 4; viii. 2. 

t These officers were appointed, not by the senate, but by the Roman 
emperors themselves j and their duties consisted in collecting and remit- 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


51 


little in our narrative, was Coponius, who was appointed 
after the banishment of Archelaus ; then Marcus Ambivius; 
then Valerius Gratus ; and then Pontius Pilate, who was 
sent by Tiberius to govern Judea about the year 26 A. C., 
and by whom our Savior was delivered to crucifixion. He 
held his office ten years ; when he was banished to Gaul by 
Caligula, in consequence of accusations preferred against 
him by the Jews for cruelty and mal-administration. He is 
supposed to have died, not long after, by his own hand. 
After the banishment of Pilate, Judea reverted, for a short 
time, to the family of Herod ; being governed by Herod 
Agrippa, with the title of king, as already stated. At his 
death, it was again reduced to the rank of a minor province, 
and the government confided to a procurator sent from 
Rome. The first after the death of Agrippa, and the next 
in order to Pilate, was Antonius Felix ; before whom St. 
Paul pleaded his cause, against the Roman orator Tertullus, 
and with whom, at his second hearing, he “ reasoned of 
righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come,” until 
Felix, who was by no means exemplary for those virtues, 
“trembled.” (Acts xxiv.) Felix either resigned, or was 
recalled, about the year 60 A. C., and was succeeded by 
Porcius Festus ; before whom, also, together with the 
younger Agrippa, who had come to Cesarea to congratulate 
Festus on his appointment, Paul, whose cause had been left 
undecided by Felix, defended himself against the accusations 
of the Jews, and by whom, having appealed to Cesar, he 
was sent to Rome ; both Festus and Agrippa declaring that 
he had done nothing worthy of death or of bonds. (Acts 
xxv. and xxvi.) Festus died in Judea about the year 63 
A. C., and was succeeded by Albinus. The state of lawless 


ting the imperial tribute, in the administration of justice, and the repres¬ 
sion of popular tumults. They had the power of life and death in capital 
causes} and on account of their high dignity they are sometimes called 
governors. Some of them held independent jurisdiction; while others 
were subordinate to the proconsul, or prefect of the nearest province} 
thus Judea was annexed to the province of Syria. (Horne’s Introd. vol. 
iii. pp. 112, 113.) 




52 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS 


disorder which prevailed at this period was constantly grow¬ 
ing worse and worse. The country was infested with rob¬ 
bers and Sicarii ;* and, although Albinus exerted himself to 
apprehend them, he immediately released those from whom 
he could obtain money, and punished such only as were 
unable to gratify his avarice. The chief priests began to 
encroach on the rights of the lower priests. They sent their 
servants to the threshing-floors, and took away by force the 
tithes which belonged to the common priests. The deposed 
high-priest Ananus, who was the richest man in the nation, 
and had purchased the favor of Albinus, surpassed all his 
contemporaries in violence and rapine. Even the procura¬ 
tor himself did not hesitate to promote theft and murder, 
when it contributed to his own interest ; and he might have 
been regarded, without impropriety, as the head and instiga¬ 
tor of all the robbers in the country. 

He was succeeded, in the year 65 A. C., by Gsssius Flo- 
rus, compared with whom, even the unprincipled Albinus 
was a good man.f This political firebrand was the personi¬ 
fication of all evil, without so much as one redeeming qual¬ 
ity. He concentrated in himself all the vices of his prede¬ 
cessors, and added to them many peculiarly his own. He 
was not only tyrannical, cruel, and avaricious, but his ava¬ 
rice was utterly insatiable. He readily afforded protection 
to all robbers who would divide their spoil with him ; and 

* The Sicarii were a set of secret assassins that sprang up during the 
procuratorship of Felix. They soon became more numerous and formi¬ 
dable than the robbers ; perpetrating the most atrocious murders, even in 
the temple and in the public streets, and yet escaping detection. They 
carried daggers concealed under their garments ; and, mingling in a crowd, 
they would despatch their victims by a secret thrust, and immediately con¬ 
ceal themselves among the multitude, and evade observation. They were 
called Sicarii from the sica, or short dagger, which they made use of. 

t It was said that Albinus should have been grateful to Florus, for prov¬ 
ing that he was not the basest of mankind, by the evidence that a baser 
existed; that he had a respect for virtue, by his condescending to commit 
those robberies in private which his successor perpetrated in public; and 
that he had human feeling, by his abstaining from blood where he could 
gain nothing by murder: while Florus disdained alike concealment and 
cause, and slaughtered for the brutal pleasure of the sword. 





HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


53 


nothing was wanting but an official proclamation giving per¬ 
mission for all to rob, who were willing to bring a share of 
their plunder to the procurator. The Jews had been ill used 
and oppressed by former governors; but Florus inflicted 
cruelties upon them deliberately, and by system. The ap¬ 
pointment of such a man to the supreme civic office, was 
calculated to inflame the popular discontent, and foment the 
gathering elements of rebellion into a storm of national ven¬ 
geance. 


CHAPTER IV. 

Provocations offered to the Jews—Popular Commotion—Outbreak of the 
Jewish War—Campaign of Vespasian—Vespasian declared Emperor of 
Piome. 

In the year 66 A. C., the twelfth year of the reign of 
Nero, and the second of the procuratorship of Florus, the 
imperial edict was received at Cesarea, by which the Syrian 
and Greek inhabitants of that city were raised above the 
Jews, and became entitled to the first rank as citizens. 

Soon after, a Cesarean Greek, who owned a piece of land 
directly in front of the Jewish synagogue, began to erect a 
building upon it, which left the Jews a very narrow passage 
to their place of worship. The young Jews at first molested 
the workmen ; but after Florus had taken measures to pre¬ 
vent their interference, John, a publican, with many other 
Jews of the first rank, went to the procurator, and gave him 
eight talents to prohibit the further progress of the work. 
This Florus promised to do, but he soon after went to Se- 
flaste, (Samaria,) without having performed his promise ; 
and it was thus made to appear as though he had sold the 
Jews permission to vindicate their rights by arms. They 
however remained quiet.* 

v Josephus, Jewish War, ii. 14. 

5* 




54 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


But, on the next day, which was the Sabbath, a certain 
Cesarean, to insult the Jews, turned over an earthen vessel 
near the entrance of the synagogue, and began to sacrifice 
birds on the bottom of it. The Jews were very much irri¬ 
tated by this outrage on their sacred rites, and the more 
moderate among them thought of applying to the magistrates 
for protection j but the enraged multitude prepared them¬ 
selves to fight, and they were soon met by a number of 
Greeks and Syrians, who had instigated the Cesarean to 
make the offensive offering. Jucundus, the Roman master 
of horse, hastened to quell the tumult ; but he was repelled 
by the superior numbers of Cesareans. The Jews then took 
their sacred books from the synagogue, and carried them to 
Narbata, about sixty stadia from Cesarea. In the mean 
time, the publican John, with twelve other distinguished 
Jews, went to Sebaste to lay their grievances before the pro¬ 
curator : but as soon as they arrived, Florus put them all in 
prison, because they had removed their sacred books from 
Cesarea.* 

This arbitrary measure of the procurator caused great 
excitement at Jerusalem, but there was yet no appearance 
of sedition. Florus therefore, in order to exasperate the 
feelings of the people, and if possible provoke them to re¬ 
bellion, sent to Jerusalem, and demanded seventeen talents 
from the sacred treasury for the use of the emperor. This 
had the desired effect : a tumult was excited, and reproaches 
and insults were openly cast upon the procurator. Florus 
now approached the city in person, with a body of horse 
and foot, to enforce his demand. The people went out to 
meet him, with the intention of paying him every mark of 
respect, and saluting him with the customary shout of joy ; 
but he, instead of receiving their homage, ordered his cav¬ 
alry to drive them back into the city. The next day, he 
demanded from his throne the surrender of those who had 
joined in the reproaches which had been cast upon him. He 
would listen to no apology, or palliation, or petition for par- 


* Josephus, Jewish War, ii. 14, 5. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


55 


don, but in his rage ordered his soldiers to plunder the upper 
market , and they, not satisfied with this, proceeded to pil¬ 
lage several private houses, and massacre the inhabitants. 
Many of the most peaceable citizens, and among the rest 
some publicans who held the rank of Roman knights, were 
dragged before Floras, and by his orders were scourged and 
crucified. Nearly three thousand six hundred Jews lost 
their lives in this disturbance. King Agrippa was then at 
Alexandria ; but his wife Berenice, who was at Jerusalem, 
was exposed to great danger from the fury of the Roman 
soldiers.* 

The next day the chief priests and principal citizens, 
dressed in mourning, made every exertion to silence the 
lamentations of the people over those who had been murder¬ 
ed, lest Floras should be still more enraged by these demon¬ 
strations of grief. But Floras was determined on inflaming 
their discontents : he accordingly called the principal citi¬ 
zens before him, and demanded that the people, as a proof 
of their return to obedience, should go out and meet, with a 
shout of joy, the two cohorts which were advancing from 
Cesarea. The priests and noblemen were obliged to resort 
to the most humiliating entreaties, before they could per¬ 
suade the people to take this step ; and when they at last 
consented to go, they were received with insult; for Floras 
had sent orders to the soldiers not to answer the shout of the 
Jews, and if they manifested any dissatisfaction at this neg¬ 
lect, to fall upon them sword in hand. The result was such 
as the procurator desired ; many of the Jews were wounded 
and slain, or crushed to death in the crowd, and the remain¬ 
der driven back to the city. The next day, Floras attempt¬ 
ed to press into the temple, with his soldiers ; but the people 
resisted by arms, and fought so bravely, that the Romans 
were compelled to retire into the royal castle. The Jews 
then demolished the covered way which led from the Castle 
of Antonia to the temple, the more effectually to secure their 
sanctuary from the approach of the Romans. After Floras 


* Josephus, Jewish War, ii. 14. 6—9; xv. 1.. 




56 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


supposed that he had sufficiently kindled the fires of rebellion 
by these abuses, he returned to Cesarea, and left only one 
cohort in Jerusalem.* 

Florus immediately sent notice of these occurrences to 
Cestius Gallus ; but the principal Jews and the Queen Be¬ 
renice, at the same time, informed Cestius of the unreasonable 
and cruel conduct of the procurator. Cestius put his army 
in motion, but he sent his friend Neapolitanus before him, 
to learn the disposition of the Jews, and to obtain more ac¬ 
curate intelligence. At Jainnia, Neapolitanus met Agrippa, 
who had returned from Egypt, and made known to him the 
object of his mission. The chief priests and noblemen of 
the Jews had assembled to pay their respects to the king, 
and they complained to him of the inhumanity of Florus. 
Agrippa reproved them for their seditious conduct, though 
he was in reality highly irritated against Florus. Agrippa 
and Neapolitanus were received at Jerusalem with every 
mark of respect. The people who met them without the 
walls of the city with the customary salutation, called on 
Agrippa for aid, represented their unhappy condition to 
Neapolitanus, and showed him the ruins which had been 
made in their capital. When Neapolitanus perceived that 
the Jews had no hostile feelings against the Romans, but 
only against Florus, he collected them in the temple, exhort¬ 
ed them to peace, and then returned to Cestius. The people 
were entirely pacified, and persuaded to remain subject to 
the Romans, by a speech which Agrippa addressed to them 
in the gymnasium. They willingly paid the arrears of their 
tribute, and rebuilt the portico between the temple and the 
Castle of Antonia. But when Agrippa afterwards ventured 
to advise them to remain obedient to Florus till another pro¬ 
curator could be sent to Judea, they insulted him, attacked 
him with stones, and drove him out of their city. 

Subsequent to this rash act, which was condemned by the 
more sober part of the people, the spirit of disaffection 
rapidly spread ; the whole country was in commotion ; and 


* Josephus, Jewish War, ii. 15. 2—6. 












HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


57 


many deeds of violence were committed by the enraged pop¬ 
ulace. At length, on the fifth of July, (66 A. C.,) the Jews 
rose upon their rulers, and killed the Roman garrison in 
Jerusalem. A dreadful retribution, by the powerful and 
exasperated Romans, was sure to follow such a measure as 
this. It was regarded by the Christians as a prognostic of 
the gathering storm ; and, according to the admonition of 
our Savior, they “ fled to the mountains.” When the 
Jewish rebellion was known at Rome, Nero was highly ex¬ 
asperated with Cestius, the prefect of Syria, to whose negli¬ 
gence it was attributed. Vespasian, who had just returned 
from his victories over the Germans and Britons, was imme¬ 
diately appointed prefect of Syria, and commander of the 
army destined to act against Jerusalem. Having arrived in 
Palestine, he took up his head-quarters at Ptolemais, and 
there assembled his foroes ; which, including the Roman 
troops, the auxiliaries of Antiochus, Agrippa, Sohein, and 
Malchus the Arab chieftain, together with the fifth and tenth 
legions brought by Titus from Alexandria, amounted to sixty 
thousand effective warriors. Vespasian marched first into 
Galilee, where the very appearance of his formidable army 
struck the inhabitants with terror, and many fled precipitate¬ 
ly before him. Having subdued several other places, he 
advanced against Jotapata, within whose walls many of the 
Jews had taken refuge. It was defended with great bravery 
by Josephus and his heroic garrison for forty-seven days, 
but was at length betrayed into the hands of the Romans. 
Forty thousand Jews had been slain during the siege, and 
when the city was taken, one thousand two hundred were 
made prisoners, and the city utterly demolished. Josephus, 
with forty others, concealed themselves in a cavern ; but 
they were betrayed by a woman who had been made prison¬ 
er. The Romans entreated him to surrender, and promised 
to spare his life ; but his companions would not suffer him 
to accept their offers. They finally agreed, at the suggestion 
of Josephus, to destroy one another by lot; and when they 
were all slain, excepting Josephus and another, they both 
surrendered themselves to the Romans. Josephus was put 


53 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


in chains, but afterwards, when he foretold that Vespasian 
would be raised to the imperial throne, he was treated with 
great respect, especially when his prediction was verified by 
the event. 

The whole of Galilee was shortly subdued to the Roman 
power, vast numbers were slain, and many taken prisoners. 
In the campaigns of 63 and 69 A. C. Vespasian was equally 
successful in Perea, Idumaea, and Judea, and reduced the 
greater part of the country to obedience. But when he had 
taken all the strong places which covered Jerusalem, and 
was preparing his approaches to that city, the death of Nero, 
and the dissensions that followed in the empire, suspended 
his operations, and gave time to such Christians as remained 
in the city to make their escape. While at Cesarea, Ves¬ 
pasian received intelligence that the German legions had 
raised Vitellius to the imperial throne. Vespasian and his 
whole army were highly displeased with this election. 
They immediately held a council, and declared Vespasian 
emperor of Rome. They entreated him to sustain the sink¬ 
ing glory of the empire ; they would listen to no excuse, and 
even threatened him with death, if he refused to accept the 
proffered dignity ; so true is it that whereas “ some men are 
born to greatness, and some men achieve greatness, others 
have greatness thrust upon them.” 


CHAPTER V 

Internal State of Jerusalem—John the Gischalite—The Zealots—Simon 
of Gerasa—Faction of Eleazar. 

After the siege of Gischala by Titus, John, commonly 
called John the Gischalite, the leader of a desperate band of 
robbers, having made his escape by night, fled to Jerusalem, 
and there gathered around him a number of associates, as 
violent and blood-thirsty as himself. The state of things 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


59 


within the city was every day growing more alarming. 
Law and order were recklessly violated ; all legitimate au¬ 
thority was powerless; the flood-gates of anarchy were 
thrown open, and all the barriers and safeguards of society 
gave way before the rushing torrent. Faction rose upon 
faction ; families were divided ; and party ranged against 
party. Bands of robbers infested the city, and committed 
their depredations openly and in broad daylight. They 
seized and imprisoned the three royal princes, Antipas, Le- 
vias, and Sophias, with several other noblemen ; and after¬ 
wards put them to death, under pretence that they designed 
to deliver up the city to the Romans. Perceiving that the 
people were awed and intimidated by these violent meas¬ 
ures, they became still more daring. They excited dissen¬ 
sions among the noblemen, and then put them to death and 
appropriated their estates. Disregarding the hereditary 
rights of the high-priests, they disposed of the highest eccle¬ 
siastical offices by lot among the meanest of their partisans. 
Phannias was made high-priest ; a man who had been bred 
to labor in the field, and was taken directly from the plough; 
who knew nothing of the duties of his office, and served 
only to bring it into contempt. The people were at length 
induced by the persuasions of Ananus, Gorion, and some 
other of the chief priests, to take up arms against these sedi¬ 
tious outlaws, who had assumed the name of Zealots. But 
while Ananus was arranging and organizing his forces, the 
Zealots rushed out of the temple, and murdered all who 
came in their way. The army of Ananus, though then but 
ill disciplined and scantily supplied with arms, maintained 
their ground, and an obstinate battle was fought, in which 
many were killed and wounded on both sides. Such skir¬ 
mishes were afterwards frequent, and the Zealots were gen¬ 
erally victorious ; till at last, on one occasion, Ananus with 
his party pressed on so closely after the retreating Zealots, 
that he rushed with them into the temple. They then fled 
into the inner court and closed the gates ; and Ananus, out 
of reverence for the sacred place, declined to pursue his 
advantage any further. He, however, left a garrison of six 


60 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


thousand men in the outer court, who were relieved by oth¬ 
ers at regular intervals. 

John the Gischalite professedly espoused the cause of 
Ananus, but held a secret correspondence with the Zealots ; 
and when his treachery was suspected, he asserted his fidel¬ 
ity with a solemn oath, and so entirely freed himself from all 
suspicion, that he was sent to the Zealots to enter into nego¬ 
tiations for peace. He took this opportunity to advise the 
Zealots to call the Idumteans to their aid, two thousand of 
whom soon after appeared before Jerusalem. Ananus shut 
the gates against them, and in vain endeavored, by the most 
earnest entreaties, to dissuade them from their purpose. 
They remained all night before the city, exposed to the fury 
of a violent storm of rain and thunder. The Zealots, taking 
advantage of the noise occasioned by the wind, rain, and 
thunder, sawed off* the bars which confined the gates of the 
temple, without being heard by the garrison in the outer 
court, went unperceived to the gates of the city, which they 
opened, and conducted the Idumaeans to the temple, where 
their comrades had already issued from the inner court to 
meet them. They now, with their united strength, fell upon 
the garrison in the outer court, who at first defended them¬ 
selves with great bravery ; but as soon as they perceived 
that the Idumseans were among them, they threw down their 
swords, and raised a cry of despair. By this the inhabitants 
of the city were awakened ; but not daring to go to the aid 
of the garrison, they, particularly the women, set up another 
shriek of terror. Meanwhile the garrison of the outer court 
was cut to pieces, and many precipitated themselves from 
the porticoes of the temple into the city. The Idumaeans 
then rushed into the city, and cut down all whom they met ; 
but sought principally for the chief priests, among whom 
Ananus was slain. Josephus intimates that Ananus would 
have restored peace with the Romans, had his life been 
spared ; since he had already done much towards suppress¬ 
ing the haughty spirit of the seditious. The Idumaeans and 
Zealots massacred great numbers of the people, and put the 
more distinguished citizens in prison, where they attempted 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


61 


to compel them to join their party, by severe treatment and 
scourging; and finally put those to death who firmly refused 
to comply with their demands. They seized them by day, 
and murdered them in the night; and then threw out their 
dead bodies, to make room for other prisoners. They ac¬ 
cused the wealthy Zacharias, the son of Baruch, before 
seventy judges whom they called together, of a design to 
betray the city into the hands of Vespasian ; and when he 
began to make his defence, and to shew the injustice of the 
accusation, they made such a tumult that his voice could not 
be heard. Notwithstanding this, the judges acquitted him ; 
and for this act of justice they were immediately beaten from 
their seats, and Zacharias was murdered by two Zealots in 
the midst of the temple. When the Idumfeans witnessed 
the violence of the Zealots, and heard of all the barbarous 
crimes of which they had been guilty, they released the two 
thousand prisoners whom they had taken, and went home 
mortified and disgusted by the conduct of their allies. The 
Zealots, however, did not cease to commit murder, under 
pretence of punishing treason. 

Many now sought refuge with the Romans, who looked 
on with pleasure, and saw their enemies destroying one an¬ 
other. All the avenues from the city were indeed strongly 
guarded, and those who were detected in their flight were 
put to death ; but money could open for any one a way of 
escape, and it was those only who were unable or unwilling 
to bribe the guards, that were delivered up and executed as 
traitors. The dead bodies of such as had fallen by the hand 
of the executioner, lay unburied in the streets, because no 
one ventured to bury them, lest he should himself be regard¬ 
ed and treated as a traitor. All human laws were trampled 
under foot, the laws of God were despised, the prophets 
were ridiculed as fanatics and jugglers, although the Zealots 
themselves were now fulfilling their prophecies ; for, (as 
Josephus observes,) “they had foretold that the city should 
be destroyed and the temple burnt, when a revolt should 
break out, and the temple should be profaned by the citizens 
6 


62 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


themselves ; which predictions the Zealots were now accom¬ 
plishing.” 

John the Gischalite, a brave and sagacious, but unprinci¬ 
pled man, now began to assume absolute authority, and en¬ 
deavored to make himself sole master of the city 5 but his 
pretensions were strongly opposed. The citizens were con¬ 
sequently divided into two factions, who were frequently 
engaged in bloody conflicts. The robbers and Sicarii mean¬ 
while had increased throughout the country in numbers and 
audacity. The robbers of Masada, who had hitherto plun¬ 
dered only to supply themselves with provisions, now under¬ 
took more extensive depredations. On the Feast of the 
Passover they attacked the town of Engaddi, drove out the 
inhabitants, murdered more than seven hundred women and 
children, pillaged the town, and brought their booty to Mas¬ 
ada. In a short time they devastated that whole region; 
while others did the same in other places, and then fled with 
their booty to the deserts. 

While the rebels were left undisturbed by the Romans, a 
new dissension broke out among themselves. Simon of Ge- 
rasa, the son of Giora, a less subtle but more daring man 
than John the Gischalite, now attempted to place himself at 
the head of the rebels. After his expulsion from the district 
of Acrabatene by Ananus, he joined the robbers at Masada, 
and gained their confidence by his daring depredations. 
After the death of Ananus he withdrew to the mountains, 
and soon drew around him a numerous party by promising 
freedom to the slaves, and great rewards to the free men 
who would join him.* 

He now begun to plunder the villages on the mountains, 
and soon extended his depredations to the plains. In a short 
time he became formidable to the cities, and was then joined 
by some of the nobles. He now carried his robberies into 
Idumaea, fortified the village of Nain, deposited his booty in 
the caves of the Vale of Pharan, and left there a large num¬ 
ber of his adherents as a garrison. The Zealots took the 


* Jewish War, iv. 9. 3. Tacitus, Hist. v. 12. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


63 


field against him, but were overpowered and driven back to 
Jerusalem. In Idumaea, he fought with twenty thousand 
men against twenty-five thousand Idumaeans for a whole 
day, without gaining a decisive victory. Soon after, he 
encamped at Thecoa with forty thousand men, when Idu 
maea fell into his power by treachery, and he desolated the 
whole country with fire and sword. The Zealots did not 
venture again to take the field against him, and they were 
obliged to restore to him his wife and a great number of his 
adherents, who had fallen into their power by a stratagem ; 
for the irritated Simon led his army to Jerusalem, put to 
death many who came out of the city, cut off the hands of 
others, and sent them back with the threat that he would 
break through the walls and treat all the Jews in the same 
manner, unless they sent him back his wife. The intimidat 
ed Zealots were accordingly compelled to submit.* 

Simon returned to Idumaea and resumed his robberies; 
and when the Idumaeans attempted to escape to Jerusalem, 
he pursued them to the walls, surrounded the city, and slew 
all who were going out to their fields or returning from 
them. The condition of those within the city was no better 
than that of those without; every species of enormity was 
practised by the Zealots, especially by John the Gischalite 
and his Galileans. To plunder and murder the rich, and 
ravish the women, was mere pastime to these shameless 
wretches ; they polluted themselves by nameless obscenities, 
and imitated the dress and ornaments and wantonness of 
females. Josephus says, “ the whole city w r as one great 
brothel, a horrid den cf robbers, and a hateful cave of mur¬ 
derers.” f 

At last an army, to which the Idumaeans attached them¬ 
selves, was raised against John, and a bloody battle was 
fought in the city. Many of the Zealots fell, and the re¬ 
mainder took refuge in the palace which had been built by 
Grapte, a relative of King Izates, whence they were soon 
expelled and driven into the temple. The Idumaeans now 


* Jewish War, iv. 9. 4—8. 


f Ibid, iv. 9.10. 



64 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


plundered the palace which John the Gischalite had made 
his place of residence, and in which he had deposited his 
treasures. The Zealots, who were dispersed in different 
parts of the city, collected for the aid of their comrades in 
the temple ; and John made preparations for an assault on 
the Idurmeans and the people. In this distress the people 
opened their gates to Simon, who indeed kept John closely 
besieged in the temple, but soon proved himself as tyranni¬ 
cal a master as his rival. He could gain little advantage 
against the temple, where the Zealots were favored by the 
height of the place ; and they now built for their greater 
security four additional tow^ers, and provided them with 
engines for throwing stones and darts. Thus there were 
continual hostilities among the Jews themselves in the city. 


CHAPTER VI. 

Advance of Titus against Jerusalem—Commencement of the Siege— 
Conquest of the Outer Wall—Capture of the Lower City—Siege of the 
Tower of Antonia—Assault on the Temple—Burning of the Temple— 
Conquest and Conflagration of the Upper City—Complete Demolition 
of Jerusalem—Close of the Jewish War. 

Vespasian being declared emperor, (69 A. C.,) he devolv¬ 
ed the command of the army in Judea on his son Titus, and 
left him to complete the subjugation of that country. 

When Titus advanced against Jerusalem, at the head of 
sixty thousand men—Romans and auxiliaries—multitudes 
of Jews were collected in the city, from all quarters, to cel¬ 
ebrate the Feast of Passover. This circumstance greatly 
enhanced the subsequent calamities of the siege ; as such 
vast numbers soon consumed the provisions which remained 
in the city, and speedily produced the most horrible famine 
that ever history recorded. It was probably in contempla¬ 
tion of such a result, that Titus selected this time for his 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


65 


advance ; as he would reasonably calculate that the siege 
would be shortened by the besieged being obliged to surren¬ 
der from want of food. He needed all the hope which might 
be derived from such a consideration, for the enterprise 
which he had undertaken was one of no ordinary difficulty. 
The city itself was strong from its situation ; besides which, 
its fortifications were, for that age, of remarkable strength, 
and of recent erection. The ancient walls had indeed been 
demolished by Pompey ; and when Herod Agrippa under¬ 
took to repair the foundations and raise the walls, the gov¬ 
ernor of Syria took alarm, and obtained an order from 
Rome, prohibiting the continuance of the work. After 
Herod’s death, however, the Jews purchased permission 
from the venal Claudius to resume the undertaking, and 
availed themselves of the advantage with such good effect, 
that the town came to be considered little less than impreg¬ 
nable. The w'alls and battlements were completed to the 
height of twenty-five cubits, and the breadth of ten cubits, 
built with great stones twenty cubits long and ten broad, so 
that they could not be easily undermined, nor shaken by 
military engines. This was the outer wall, (for there were 
two others,) and it was strengthened with sixty strong and 
lofty towers. The two other w'alls were of corresponding 
strength, the second having fourteen towers and the third 
eighty. Besides this, there were several castles of extraor¬ 
dinary strength, such as those of Hippicos, Phasael, Mari- 
amne, and Antonia ; not to mention the royal palace and 
some others, that were stately and well fortified. The tem¬ 
ple itself exceeded in strength ; and for its situation, with its 
walls, towers, and other buildings, was at least equal to the 
strongest fortress then existing. The defenders were nu¬ 
merous, wanting no arms or warlike engines, invincibly 
obstinate, and brave to desperation. But, on the other hand, 
they wanted experience in the defence of towns, and in the 
use of warlike engines which they had taken from the Ro¬ 
mans ; their stores of provisions were utterly inadequate, 
and in a course of rapid exhaustion ; and they were at vari¬ 
ance among themselves, and with the unwarlike multitudes 
6 * 


66 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


in the city, who sighed for safety and peace. However, the 
party differences of the defenders of the city were somewhat 
diminished, almost as soon as the Romans made their ap¬ 
pearance, by the suppression of the party of Eleazar, which 
put John in sole possession of the temple, and left him free 
to act with Simon against the Romans, and against Simon 
when the Romans intermitted their assaults. This was the 
principal contest throughout the siege. The two great par¬ 
ties concurred in defence of the city; but when the urgent 
occasion had passed, they turned their arms against each 
other. Thus there was two-fold war, and the life-blood of 
Jerusalem was drained without respite. John defended the 
temple and the Castle of Antonia, and Simon the rest of the 
city. The space which their previous devastations had 
cleared within the city, served them for a field of battle 
against each other ; from which, when occasion required, 
they unanimously hastened to act against the commou ene¬ 
my ; after which, their mutual hostilities were resumed, as 
if they had studied how to make their ruin more easy to the 
Romans. 

When Titus arrived before the city, he made an ostenta¬ 
tious display of his forces, in battle array, in three divisions; 
the first and principal encamped at Scopas, about seven sta¬ 
dia from the city northward ; the second about three stadia 
behind ; and the third eastward, on the Mount of Olives. 
The first week, being the week of the Passover, he spent in 
making such arrangements as the survey which he had made 
showed to be necessary, and in preparing the ground for 
future operations. The ground between Scopas and the city 
was levelled and cleared, by the demolition of trees, houses, 
hedges, and even rocks, which supplied materials to raise, 
against the wall, banks on which the military engines were 
planted ; and the overtures of peace having been rejected 
with insult and scorn, he commenced active operations the 
day after the ending of the Paschal week, being Sunday, 
April 22. And here it may be observed, that Titus was 
instructed to avoid the error which had proved fatal to Ces- 
tius, who had made an attack on the Sabbath, expecting that 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


67 


the Jews would not fight on that day ; and learnt otherwise 
to his cost. Titus knew that their present principle was 
that they might on that day resist assailing enemies, in self- 
defence, but that they might not attack them if otherwise 
employed. Hence, the Roman general adopted the policy 
of Pornpey, who, without molestation, employed the Sab¬ 
baths in undermining the walls, raising mounts, and con¬ 
structing military engines, preparatory to his attacks on the 
Sundays. This explains how it happened that the most im¬ 
portant events of the war took place on the day following 
the Sabbath. 

Three moveable towers having been erected on the banks, 
and the battering rams having been brought to bear on the 
wall in three different places, the assault began, and the cry 
of terror arose throughout the city at the noise and destruc¬ 
tion occasioned by these machines.* Simon planted on the 
wall the military engines taken from Cestius, but want of 
skill in the men rendered them ineffective. The missiles 
from the towers soon cleared the wall, and left the rams to 
work unimpeded. Simon aud John, however, concurred in 
some desperate sallies, in one of which they set the engines 
on fire. But many of the men were taken by the Romans 


* The skill of man, exerted for ages on the arts of compendious slaugh¬ 
ter, has scarcely produced the equals of those horrible engines. They 
threw masses of inextinguishable fire, of boiling water, of burning oil, of 
red-hot flints, of molten metal, from distances that precluded defence, and 
with a force that nothing could resist. The catapult shot stones of a hun¬ 
dred weight from the distance of furlongs, with the straightness of an ar¬ 
row, and with an impulse that ground everything in their way to powder. 
They battered down walls of solid stone ; they tore up the strongest but¬ 
tresses like weeds; they struck away whole ranks of men, and whirled 
their shattered remnants through the air. They levelled towers, and 
swept battlements away, with their defenders, at a blow. The fortitude 
that scorned the Roman spear, and exulted in the sight of the columns 
mounting the scaling-ladders, as mounting to sure destruction, quailed be¬ 
fore the tremendous power of the catapult. The ominous cry of the 
watcher that gave notice of its discharge, “ The son cometh,” was a sound 
that prostrated every man upon his face, until the crash of the walls told 
that the dreaded blow was given. 



68 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


and crucified before the walls ; and these demonstrations, 
however brave, were in general ineffectual. The first 
breach was made in the outer wall on Sunday, May 6th \ 
when the Romans, rushing in through the breach, opened 
the gates, and obtained possession of the new city, the Jews 
retiring behind the second wall. The Roman camp was 
then removed to the conquered ground, after the greater 
part of the outer wall had been demolished. The second 
wall was defended with desperate bravery ; and frequent 
sallies were made on the besiegers. The Romans, however, 
gained possession of the walls in five days ; but the Jews 
made so obstinate a resistance in the streets, that they drove 
back the enemy, and took possession of the breach, from 
which it took three days more to expel them. 

Titus being thus master of the new aud loAver cities, turn¬ 
ed his attention to the Tower of Antonia ; and the stand 
here made by the besieged extorted the admiration of their 
enemies John, who held the castle, dug a mine therefrom 
to the banks, by which they were destroyed ; and two days 
after, Simon assaulted the remaining banks, and set fire to 
the engines that were planted on them. The flames spread 
to the banks, which were chiefly constructed of felled trees, 
and destroyed them, obliging the Romans to retreat to their 
camp, where they had an obstinate and bloody conflict, be¬ 
fore they could drive back the Jews who had pursued them. 

After this, and in order that famine might accomplish all 
its work in the town, by the besieged being shut up more 
closely, and precluded from all means of escape, Titus built 
a wall of circumvallation all round the city, fortified at due 
intervals with thirteen towers, in which strong guards were 
stationed. This vast work, which was about six miles in 
extent, was accomplished by the Roman soldiers in three 
days, through one of those exertions of concentrated energy 
and application, which they alone, in that age, were capable 
of displaying. 

Having accomplished this work, the Romans resumed 
their operations against Fort Antonia, which they took with¬ 
out much difficulty ; for the garrison, being exhausted by 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS 


69 


famine, made blit a feeble defence. Titus ordered it to be 
entirely demolished, that the site might afford ground for the 
operations against the temple, which became the next object 
of attack. At this time (July 12th) the daily sacrifice ceas¬ 
ed in the temple, as no one remained properly qualified to 
officiate. 

Titus, always anxious to preserve the temple, sent Jose¬ 
phus on the last of his many embassies to the Zealots, invit¬ 
ing them to submission and peace ; or, as an alternative, 
suggesting that John might, if he pleased, draw out his 
forces to battle, so that the temple and city might be preserv¬ 
ed from destruction. John answered with bitter invectives, 
adding, that Jerusalem was God’s own city, and he had no 
fear that it could ever be taken. Josephus in vain reminded 
him of the blood and abomination with which he had him¬ 
self defiled the city and temple, and bade him recollect the 
ancient prophecies which foretold their overthrow. It has 
been thought possible that Josephus had in view the prophe¬ 
cies of Christ, which could scarcely have been unknowm to 
him ; although some suppose that the concluding chapters 
of Zechariah supply the reference. His earnest conclusion 
is striking, taken in connexion with the present prophecies : 
—“ It is God—it is God himself, who is bringing on this fire 
to purge the city and the temple by the Romans, and who is 
about to pluck up this city, which you have filled with your 
pollutions.” Josephus, indeed, everywhere manifests his 
conviction that God was with the Romans, and made use of 
them for the destruction of a guilty nation. 

The temple now became the great object of interest to all 
parties. The Jews were for the most part confident that it 
never could be taken ; and expected some extraordinary 
manifestation of Divine power for its preservation, and the 
overthrow of the Romans. Titus was most anxious to pie- 
serve so magnificent a fabric for the glory of the Roman 
empire ; but most of the superior officers were of opinion 
that so strong a fabric should be destroyed, lest it might 
serve as a strong hold and rallying point to the Jews in their 
future rebellions ; and the soldiers cared only for the rich 


70 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


plunder which it offered. The Jews were prepared to shed 
their last blood in its defence, and the Romans deemed all 
labor light for so rich a prize. And they had much labor; 
for, before they could commence their operations, it was 
necessary to construct banks against the walls for the towers 
and battering rams; and for this purpose they were obliged 
to bring wood from a great distance, as all the trees, for 
twenty miles round Jerusalem, had already been destroyed. 
On the fourth of August, a council of war was held to de¬ 
termine whether the temple should be destroyed or preserv¬ 
ed. Most of the officers were for the former alternative, but 
gave way when they saw that their general was obstinately 
bent on its preservation. But such was not the will of God, 
who had doomed it to no common overthrow. 

Titus being now in possession of the outer court, fixed on 
August the 5th for storming the temple with all his army. 
But the night before, two desperate sallies were made by the 
Jews, and, in driving them back the last time, the Roma is 
rushed on after them into the inner court.* One of the sol¬ 
diers then seized a firebrand, and mounting on the shoulders 
of a companion, cast it through a window communicating 
with the apartments on the north side of the sanctuary. 
The flames almost immediately burst forth ; on beholding 
which, the Jews raised a cry of despair, and ran to extin¬ 
guish them. Titus also hastened to the spot with his offi¬ 
cers, and made every exertion for the same purpose, both by 
voice and action—he entreated, promised, threatened, and 


* On this occasion, the exasperated Jews, contemptuous of life, fought 
with the rage of wild beasts. When the lance was broken, the knife was 
the weapon; when the knife failed, they tore with their hands and teeth. 
Masses of stone, iorches, burning liquids, even dead bodies, everything 
that could minister to destruction, were hurled from the roofs on the as¬ 
sailants, who were often repulsed with deadly havoc. But they still made 
way ; the courts of the Gentiles, of the Israelites, and of the priests, were 
successively stormed; and the legion at length established themselves in 
front of the inner temple. A scream of wrath and agony, at the possible 
profanation of the Holy of Holies, rose from the infuriated multitude, and 
they resolved to rescue the temple, or perish in the attempt 






HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


71 


even struck his men with his staff; but, for the time, he had 
lost all authority and influence, and was not heeded by any. 
The soldiers who flocked from the camp, eagerly joined 
those already on the spot in destroying the Jews, in increas¬ 
ing the flames, and in stripping the burning pile of its treas¬ 
ured wealth and ornaments. The general, seeing that the 
soldiers could not be induced to extinguish the flames, went 
into the holy place with his officers, while the fire was con¬ 
suming the outer apartments, and had not yet penetrated to 
the interior. He took out the golden candlestick, the in¬ 
cense altar, and the table of shew-bread, with some other 
sacred furniture, which were afterwards paraded in his tri¬ 
umph at Rome. When he came forth, Titus made one 
more effort to induce the soldiers to put out the fire, but with 
as little success as before. On the contrary, they hastened 
to apply their hands to the sanctuary which he had quitted, 
and to every part of the sacred structure, till the flames 
burst forth with redoubled fury in all directions ; and, final¬ 
ly, disappointed in the hope he had always cherished, the 
general withdrew to his quarters. 

While the temple burned, the soldiers cut down every 
Jew they encountered, and plundered whatever they could 
lay their hands on. The inner court, and especially the 
space about the altar, was covered with dead bodies, and 
blood flowed in streams down to the lower court. The gold 
plate of the gates, and timber work of the sanctuary, and 
the precious articles which it contained, afforded them rich 
spoil, so immense, indeed, was their booty from this and 
other spoliations, that gold in Syria speedily fell to one half 
its former value. In the confusion, the Zealots and robbers, 
who had the defence of the place, succeeded in forcing their 
way through the Upper City, there to make their last stand. 
The plundering and butchering being over for the present, 
the Romans carried their standards around the burning tem¬ 
ple, and set them up before the eastern gate, where they 
offered sacrifices, and saluted Titus as “ Imperator.” Thus 
was destroyed the glorious edifice of which our Lord fore¬ 
told to his disciples, who pointed out its “ goodly stones ” 


72 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


with admiration, that “ the days shall come in the which 
there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not 
be thrown down.” (Luke xxi. 6.) 

Passing over some intermediate circumstances, we have 
now only to state, that the Upper City, or Mount Zion, the 
last refuge of the factious, was taken by the Romans on 
Sunday, September 2d. Even the Zealots had now de¬ 
spaired ; the fall of the temple assured them that they were 
indeed abandoned by God. Many, therefore, convinced 
that the Upper City would be taken, went to hide themselves 
in the cellars, vaults, and sewers ; others retired to the cas¬ 
tle ; and but few were left to offer but a feeble resistance to 
the Romans. A breach was soon made, and the Jews fled ; 
but, instead of hastening to the towers, which were very 
strong, and in which nothing but famine could have reduced 
them, they ran to the Valley of Siloam, with the design of 
forcing their way into the open country, through the Roman 
wall. In this desperate undertaking, they were joined even 
by the men already in the towers, which they hastily aban¬ 
doned to join their fleeing comrades. But they were all 
repulsed by the Roman guards at the wall, and obliged to 
hasten for shelter to the vaults, caverns, sinks, and common 
sewers, hoping, as those who had resorted to such shelter in 
the first instance, that they should be able to preserve exist¬ 
ence till the Roman forces were withdrawn from the deso¬ 
lated city. All the rest whom the Romans could find were 
put to death, with the exception of the most vigorous and 
beautiful, who were reserved, as captives, for future calam¬ 
ities worse than present death. The city was set on fire ; 
but so great was the slaughter, that the flames were kept 
under by the blood of the slain, and it was not till night that 
the conflagration became general. 

After Titus had accomplished his mission of vengeance 
against a guilty people, he departed for Cesarea, leaving, 
however, forces, under Terentius Rufus, to complete the 
work of devastation, and to explore the retreats of those 
who had hid themselves with much treasure. Great num¬ 
bers were found, and slain; and others came forth of their 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


73 


own accord, being no longer able to endure the extremity of 
famine. Among these, were John and Simon. The former 
appeared first, and begged his life, which was granted. Si¬ 
mon, whose retreat was better stored with provisions, held 
out till the end of October, when he was seen on the ruins 
of the temple, arrayed in a white robe and purple mantle. 
The Romans were astonished at this apparition, but, learn¬ 
ing who he was, they took him, and sent him in chains to 
Titus. He and John were reserved to adorn the triumphal 
pageant with which the conqueror entered Rome, and in 
which they appeared at the head of seven hundred captives, 
selected from the rest for the beauty of their personal ap¬ 
pearance. After which, Simon was dragged through the 
imperial city with a rope round his neck, scourged severely, 
and then put to death with some other Jewish leaders. 
John, whose life had been granted to him, was sent into per¬ 
petual imprisonment. . , , 

At Jerusalem, when there was no more blood to shed, and 
when the fire had done its work, the soldiers proceeded with 
the work of demolition, razing even to the ground all its 
noble structures, its walls and fortresses, its palaces and 
towers. Nothing was left save a piece of the western wall, 
to serve as a rampart to the tenth legion ; and the towers of 
Hippicos, Phasael, and Mariamne, to perpetuate the glory 
of the conqueror, by evincing the strength and splendor of 
the city he had overthrown. The conqueror visited the spot 
on his return fVom Cesarea, to embark for Rome from Alex¬ 
andria ; and when he saw that utter ruin of a city which he 
had always been anxious to preserve, and to the destruction 
of which he had been compelled by a power and by circum¬ 
stances which he could not resist, he could not refrain from 
tears, cursing the wretches who had made him the unwilling 
author of the ruin which he witnessed.* The Savior of the 

* When Titus examined the city, he was astonished at the strength of 
its fortifications, particularly of the towers which the rebels had so hastily 
abandoned, and exclaimed, “It was surely God himself who expelled the 
Jews from these fortifications, from which man could never have driven 
them.” 




74 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


world had wept there long before, foreknowing and foretel¬ 
ling the ruin which had now come to pass. And of his word, 
not one jot nor one tittle fell to the ground. All was accom¬ 
plished. 

Thus fell the metropolis of the Jewish state. Other cities 
have arisen on the ruins of Jerusalem, and succeeded, as it 
were, to the inalienable inheritance of perpetual siege, op¬ 
pression, and ruin. Jerusalem probably witnessed a far 
greater portion of human misery than any other spot upon 
the earth. 

Josephus justly observes, that no city had ever suffered so 
severely, nor had there ever been upon earth so abandoned 
a race of men as those who then had possession of Jerusa¬ 
lem, and that their abominable excesses compelled Titus to 
destroy the city.* 

The capital being destroyed, the conquest of the other 
parts of the country was effected without much difficulty. 
In the following year Lucilius Bassus was sent with an army 
into Judea, to crush the remnant of the revolters who were 
still in arms. The Jewish war terminated in a tragedy 
which displayed the same obstinate courage aud self-devo¬ 
tion as marked its commencement. Flavius Silva, who 
succeeded Bassus, laid siege to the fortress of Masada, the 
only fortified place that still remained in the hands of the 
Sicarii. The genius of ancient fortification produced no¬ 
thing more remarkable than this celebrated citadel. It was 
built by Jonathan Maccabreus, and afterwards strengthened 
and improved by Herod the Great. It stood near the west¬ 
ern shore of the Dead Sea, on a height so steep and precip¬ 
itous that the sun never reached the bottom of the surrounding 
defiles. Its outer wall was a mile round, with thirty-eight 
towers, each eighty feet high. Immense marble cisterns ; 
granaries like palaces, capable of holding provisions for 
years; stores of arms and armor blazing in steel and gold, 
tastefully arranged in buildings of the stateliest Grecian 
architecture ; and defences of the most costly skill, at every 


* Josephus, Jewish War, v. 10. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


75 


commanding point of the interior, displayed the kingly mag¬ 
nificence and martial pride of the most brilliant, daring, and 
successful monarch of Judea, since Solomon. On the west 
side of this fortress, Silva raised a bank two hundred 
cubits high, and on this he built a platform of stone fifty 
cubits high, which was surmounted by a moveable tower 
sixty cubits in height. The place was strong by nature, and 
was defended with obstinate bravery. At length, the Ro¬ 
mans having with great difficulty made a breach in the wall, 
the besieged Jews betook themselves to the last resort of 
despair. 

Eleazar, the commander of the fortress, assembled his 
followers in the palace, and reminded them that the time 
was now come when they must vindicate the lofty principles 
of patriotism by which they were distinguished. God had 
evidently abandoned his people, and permitted the heathen 
to triumph. This was manifest from tfie fall of Jerusalem, 
the ruin of the temple, and the failure of their present bold 
attempt. Still it was better to fall into the hands of God 
than of the Roman. Their w ives were yet unviolated, their 
children yet free from captivity, the badge of slavery had not 
yet been fastened upon them ; and Eleazar proposed that 
they should put the women and children to death, then set 
the city on fire, and offer up themselves a voluntary sacrifice 
to the cause of their bleeding and abandoned country. His 
men gazed on each other in speechless amazement. Some 
caught at once the enthusiasm of their leader ; others 
thought of their wives and children, and tears were seen 
stealing down their hardy cheeks. Eleazar saw that they 
were wavering, and broke out in a higher and more impas¬ 
sioned strain. He spoke of the immortality, the divinity of 
the soul ; of its joyful escape from the imprisonment of mor¬ 
tality ; and its eternal repose in Abraham’s bosom. He 
appealed to their Jewish feelings, to the heroic deeds of their 
forefathers ; and reminded them of the magnanimity of the 
Indians, who regard life as a restraint, as a burden which 
they cheerfully throw off when it is required of them. Per¬ 
haps with still greater effect he dwelt on the licentiousness 


76 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


and cruelty of the Romans, on their treatment of the van¬ 
quished, the abuse of women, the captivity of children, and 
the murderous scenes in the amphitheatres. “ Let us die,” 
he exclaimed, “ let us die unenslaved ; let us depart from 
life in freedom with our wives and offspring. This our law 
enjoins, our country demands, our wives and children en¬ 
treat. God himself has driven us to this stern necessity ; 
this, the Romans dread above all things, lest we should dis¬ 
appoint them of their expected triumph. Let us deny them 
the gratification of seeing us enslaved ; and rather strike 
them with awe at our death, and with enforced admiration 
of our indomitable valor.” He was interrupted by the 
unanimous acquiescence of the multitude, who declared 
themselves ready to begin on the instant the work of self- 
devotion. If the softer feelings of humanity for a moment 
agitated their breast, they had no longer power to control. 
They embraced their wives, kissed their children, wept over 
them tears of parental agony, and then, in the frenzy of des¬ 
peration, stabbed them to the heart. Not a man shrunk 
from the murderous office ; though all seemed to think they 
should wrong the dead if they survived them many minutes. 
They hastily collected all their treasures into a heap, and 
burnt them to ashes. Then ten of the strongest men were 
selected as the common executioners ; the rest, one after 
another, still clasping the lifeless bodies of their wives and 
children, held up their necks to the fatal blow. One of the 
ten was then chosen by lot to destroy the remaining nine ; 
who, having accomplished his task, seized a lighted brand, 
set fire to the royal palace, and then, with resolute and un¬ 
flinching hand, drove the sword to his own heart. The 
Romans entered the city early in the morning, and found it 
silent as the grave, on which they raised a shout of victory. 
After a time, two women and five children, who had con¬ 
cealed themselves in an aqueduct, made their appearance, 
and related to the victors the horrible transaction of the past 
night. The Romans, having partially extinguished the fire, 
made their way into the palace, and there beheld, not with¬ 
out admiration, this affecting spectacle of self-devotion. 


77 


CHAPTER VII. 

State of Judea subsequent to the Jewish War—Condition of the Jews 
during the reigns of Domitian, JNerva, and Trajan—Establishment of the 
Rabbinical Authority, and of the School of Tiberias—Their oppression 
by Hadrian—Appearance of Barcochab, the Pretended Messiah, and 
General Revolt of the Jews—Their Defeat by Julius Severus—Building 
of iElia Capitolina—Edict of Hadrian—Julian the Apostate, and the 
Jewish Tradition. 

The subjugation of Judea was now complete. The coun¬ 
try was portioned out to strangers ; the capital was destroyed 
—the temple demolished—the royal house almost extinct— 
and the high-priesthood buried beneath the ruins of the tem¬ 
ple. The sceptre was departed from Judah ; the Hebrew 
empire had lost its centre of unity ; and never since has it 
been recognized as one of the states or kingdoms of the 
world. It might have been expected, from the desolating 
character of the great war with Rome, that the people, as 
well as the empire of the Jews, would have fallen into utter 
dissolution ; or, at least, have verged rapidly towards total 
extermination. Besides the loss of nearly a million and a 
half of lives during the war, the markets of Rome were 
glutted with Jewish slaves ; the amphitheatres were crowded 
with Jewish captives, who were compelled to slay each 
other in troops for the diversion of their conquerors, or fell 
in rapid succession by the more expeditious cruelty of wild 
beasts ; while others were doomed to toil in unwholesome 
mines for that wealth which was not to be their own. Yet 
still this inexhaustible race revived and multiplied to furnish 
new candidates for its inalienable inheritance of detestation 
and misery. Like the palm-tree, the national emblem of 
Judea, new scions sprang from the eternal stock ; and the 
blasts of winter served only to strengthen the common root, 
and fasten its fibres to the soil with a more tenacious grasp. 
Of the state of Palestine immediately after the war, we 
7* 


78 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


have but little accurate information. It is uncertain how 
far the enormous loss of life, and the numbers carried into 
captivity, had drained the population of the country ; or 
how far the rescript of Vespasian, which offered the whole 
landed property of the province for sale, had introduced a 
race of foreign adventurers. The probability is, either that 
the country was not near exhausted, or that the reproduction 
in this still fertile region was extremely rapid ; since, in the 
time of Hadrian, the Jews were found in great numbers 
Indeed, it must be remembered, that whatever havoc was 
made by the sword of the conqueror, by distress, or by fam¬ 
ine ; whatever the consumption of human life in the amphi¬ 
theatre and the slave market, yet the ravage of the war was, 
after all, by no means universal in the province. Galilee, 
Judea, and great part of Idumaea were wasted, and, proba¬ 
bly, almost depopulated ; but, excepting a few towns which 
offered resistance, the populous regions and wealthy cities 
beyond the Jordan escaped the devastation. The dominions 
of King Agrippa were, for the most part, respected. Sama¬ 
ria submitted without resistance, as did most of the cities on 
the sea-coast. Many of the rich and of the nobility fell off 
from their infatuated countrymen at the beginning, or during 
the course of the war, and were permitted, by Titus, to take 
up their residence in the more tranquil parts of the county. 
Hence the remnant of the people who survived the wreck 
of their institutions, the downfall of their priesthood, and 
the extinction of their nationality, must have been by no 
means inconsiderable. 

During the reign of Vespasian, and his immediate succes¬ 
sors, the Jews were regarded with jealous watchfulness. A 
garrison of eight hundred men occupied the ruins of Jerusa¬ 
lem, to prevent the reconstruction of the city and temple. 
Hegesippus relates, that Vespasian commanded strict search 
to be made for all who claimed descent from the house of 
David—in order to cut off all hopes of the restoration of the 
royal house by the Messiah. This inquisition was contin¬ 
ued in the reign of Domitian , nor did the rest of the nation 
escape the cruelties which desolated the empire under the 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


79 


despotism of that sanguinary tyrant. The tax of two 
drachms levied, according to the rescript of Vespasian, for 
the rebuilding the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, (“ which,’ 5 
as Gibbon observes, “ by a remarkable coincidence, had 
been consumed by the flames of war about the same time 
with the Temple of Jerusalem,”) was exacted with unre¬ 
lenting rigor ; and, if any denied their Judaism, the most 
indecent means were used to ascertain the fact. 

Still it is doubtful whether these persecutions which, per¬ 
haps, were chiefly directed at the Judaizing Christians, op¬ 
pressed the people very heavily in their native land. It is 
difficult to conceive, unless communities were suffered to be 
formed, and the Jews enjoyed comparative security, how 
they could have appeared in the formidable attitude of re¬ 
sistance which they assumed in the time of Hadrian. The 
rabbinical traditions are full of the sufferings of the people 
during the reigns of Domitian, Nerva,* and Trajan; but 
they are so moulded up with fable and evident exaggeration, 
that it is difficult to distinguish any ground-work of truth. 

In the mean time, a rabbinical school of great reputation 
had been established at Jamnia, or Japhne, a town in the 
tribe of Dan, near the shore of the Mediterranean. 

According to the Jewish tradition, the Sadhedrim escaped 
the general wreck. Before the formation of the siege, it 
had followed Gamaliel, its Nasi, or Prince, to Jabne, (Jam¬ 
nia.) Simeon, the son and successor of Gamaliel, had gone 
up to the Passover ; he was put to death. Raban Jochanan 
ben Zaccai, after having labored in vain to persuade the 
people to peace, made his escape to the camp of Titus, and 
afterwards became Nasi at Jamnia. It was Rabban Jocha¬ 
nan, who, on the awful night when the great gate of the 
Temple flew open of its own accord, quoted the ominous 


* The accession of Nerva freed the Jews from much suffering, but the 
capitation-tax was not repealed; although the object for which it was levi¬ 
ed was now accomplished by the complete restoration of the Capitoline 
Temple. It continued to be paid at least till the time of Origen, who 
flourished in the early part of the third century. 



80 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


words of the prophet Zachariah—“ Open thy doors, O Le¬ 
banon, that the fire may devour thy cedars .” He escaped 
the fury of the Zealots by being laid on a bier, as dead, and 
carried forth by his scholars, R. Joshua and R. Eliezer. 
Gamaliel, the son of Simeon, likewise escaped the fate of 
his father. With the permission of Titus, he followed Joch- 
anan to Jamnia, and afterward succeeded him in the presi¬ 
dency. That this school of Gamaliel had any legitimate 
title to the dignity of Sanhedrim, may be reasonably doubted: 
but it seems clear, that the great school of Jamnia obtained 
considerable authority ; and whether from the rank and 
character of its head, or from the assemblage of many of its 
members of the ancient Sanhedrim, who formed a sort of 
community in that place, it was looked up to with great 
respect and veneration by the Jews who remained in Pales¬ 
tine. Gamaliel, the president of the school in Jamnia, or, 
as the Jews assert, the Nasi of the Sanhedrim, was deeply 
learned, but proud and overbearing. He studiously depres¬ 
sed his rivals in learning, R. Eliezer, Hyrcun, and R. Josh¬ 
ua, son of Hananiah. It was a question, whether a first-born 
animal, wounded on the lip, was a lawful offering. Joshua 
decided in the affirmative. Gamaliel not merely annulled 
his sentence, but inflicted an humiliating penance on Joshua, 
making him stand up while he was lecturing. A scholar 
asked Joshua whether evening prayer was a duty or a free¬ 
will offering. Joshua decided for the latter. Another con¬ 
tradiction and another penance ensued ; till at length the 
indignant scholars attempted to throw off the yoke, and Ga¬ 
maliel was formally deposed. Much difficulty arose about 
his successor. R. Joshua, his great rival, was passed by, 
and the choice lay between R. Akiba, a man whose fiery and 
impetous character afterwards plunged himself and the na¬ 
tion in the darkest calamities, and R. Eliezer, a young man 
of noble family, said to be ascended from Ezra. The choice 
fell on Eliezer. He hesitated to accept the dignified office. 
“ Why?” he was asked. “ Because,” replied he, “ I am too 
young, but I will ask my wife.” And he was the same day 
elected president. Other schools sprung up in rivalry to 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 81 

! : 1 ! ■ *M l . 

that of Jamnia, such as those at Lydda and Tiberias, and in 
all of them rabbinical learning flourished ; for ever since the 
Babylonish captivity a body of men had devoted themselves 
to the assiduous study of the law, and had thus become 
qualified to be the expounders of it to the mass of the people. 
They also claimed authority as the depositories of the un¬ 
written or traditionary law, which, as they asserted, had 
been delivered by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, and was 
entitled to equal reverence with the Ten Commandments 
themselves. These doctors were sometimes priests or Le- 
vites, but by no means necessarily of the sacred tribe ; and 
they became formidable rivals to the descendants of Aaron 
in the favor of the multitude. During the latter days of thq 
Jewish polity, the office of high-priest fell into contempt on 
account of the frequent changes which were made in the 
succession, according to the caprice of the ruling power, 
w hether native or Roman, and the inferior ministers shared 
in the degradation of their chief. Thus the way was pre¬ 
pared for the exaltation of the rabbis on the ruins of the 
priesthood, which began after the destruction of Jerusalem, 
and the final cessation of the authorized worship. The for¬ 
mer had, by degrees, obtained the regulation of the syna¬ 
gogues and schools established throughout Judea and other 
parts of the empire ; and by these institutions supplying, in 
some measure, the place of the Temple and the Aaronitic 
rites, they prevented their countrymen from sinking into the 
dense mass of heathenism around. 

A kind of academical degree was conferred on the pupils 
in these seminaries, as well as in those afterwards establish¬ 
ed in Mesopotamia. The circumstances attending the ad¬ 
mission to such honors were the following :—The candidate 
w as first examined with regard to his moral character and 
literary attainments ; and having satisfactorily passed 
through this ordeal, he ascended an elevated seat, where he 
received a writing tablet, to signify that he ought to make 
use of the pen, to prevent his acquisitions from being lost 
through the treacherousness of memory. He was likewise 
presented with a key, emblematic of his capacity to open to 


82 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


the unlearned the treasures of science. Hands were next 
laid upon him, and he received authority to exercise an in¬ 
spection over his own disciples. Finally, in the school of 
Tiberias, he was saluted with the title oi Rabbi; while in 
the Babylonian academy, the young teacher was honored 
with the appellation of Master.* 

In the reign of Trajan, the Jews again raised the standard 
of rebellion. While that prince was engaged in the Par¬ 
thian war, those of Egypt and Cyrene took up arms, either 
galled by some fresh persecution, or impelled by the wish, 
always natural to a conquered people, of throwing oft the 
yoke of their oppressors, even though not remarkably severe. 
The most dreadful cruelties are said to have been perpetra¬ 
ted by them on the Egyptians and Cvrenians ; and at Cyprus 
also, where the insurgents were headed by Artemio, they 
massacred two hundred aud forty thousand of their fellow- 
subjects. But their career was speedily ended. Adrian, 
nephew to the emperor, landed with a large force, defeated 
the rebels in battle, and expelled them from the island, mak¬ 
ing it a capital crime for any one of their nation to set his 
foot in it. Martius Turbo suppressed the revolt in Cyrene 
and Egypt, inflicting a terrible vengeance. Tradition affirms 
that six hundred thousand Jews perished. 

About the same time a similar rebellion broke out in Me¬ 
sopotamia. That province had long been subject to the Par- 
thians, and the descendants of Israel had there lived in peace, 
enjoying the free exercise of their religion. The victories 
of Trajan, however, transferred their country to the Roman 
empire, and they found reason to lament the change, proba¬ 
bly from the exactions of the soldiery, and the extension to 
them of that odious capitation-tax, which so severely pressed 
upon the feelings of their brethren in other parts. L. Qui¬ 
etus, reckoned the best general of Rome, was sent against 
the insurgents, with orders to expel them from the whole 
province ; an object he was unable to accomplish, though he 
defeated them after an obstinate resistance. Adrian, who 


* Upham’s Translation of Jahn's Biblical Antiquities, part i., chap. 6. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


83 


succeeded Trajan on the throne, abandoned the conquests of 
his predecessor, deeming them burdensome rather than ad¬ 
vantageous ; and thus the Mesopotamian Jews again fell 
under the mild yoke of the Parthian kings.* 

At the death of Trajan, (117 A. C.,) Hadrian ascended 
the throne ; and it is not a matter of surprise that the new 
emperor should entertain no very favorable sentiments to¬ 
wards the Jews. He had been an eye-witness of the horrible 
massacre which had desolated the lovely island of Cyprus ; 
he had seen the voluptuous Italian groves reeking with 
blood, or covered with the carnage of their inhabitants ; and 
had beheld the gay and splendid cities reduced to the silence 
of desolation. It is not improbable that the same mischiefs 
might seem to be brooding in Palestine An edict, therefore, 
was issued tantamount to the total suppression of Judaism. 
It interdicted circumcision, the reading of the law, and the 
observance of the Sabbath. This was followed by a meas¬ 
ure, if possible, still more exasperating. The emperor an¬ 
nounced his determination to annihilate at once all hopes of 
the restoration of the Holy City, by the establishment of a 
Roman colony in Jerusalem, and the construction of a fane, 
dedicated to Jupiter, on the site of the fallen temple. The 
Jews looked on with dismay, with anguish, with secret 
thoughts of revenge, and at length with awakened hopes of 
deliverance. It was an opinion deeply rooted in the hearts 
of the Israelitish nation, that in the darkest hour of their 
destiny, when the chosen race were at the extreme climax 
of degradation and wretchedness, the arm of the Lord would 
be revealed, and the expected Messiah would make his sud¬ 
den and glorious appearance. That hour was now arrived. 
The degradation of Judah was complete ; the seed of Abra¬ 
ham were crushed and oppressed to the uttermost; they 
were sounding the lowest depths of their misery ; and, by 
the prohibition of their distinctive rite, the very race was in 
danger of becomiug extinct. Just at this eventful period it 
was announced that the Messiah had made his appearance ; 


* Euseb. Eccl. Hist. iv. ii. Basnage, book vi. chap. viii. 




84 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


that he was come in power and in glory ; and his name ful¬ 
filled the great prophecy of Balaam. Barcochab* was that 
star which was to “ arise out of Jacob.” Wonders attended 
upon his person ; he breathed flames from his mouth, which, 
no doubt, would burn up the strength of the oppressor, and 
wither the armies of the Romans. Rabbi Akiba,f the great- 


* Bar-cochab, the Son of the Star, afterwards changed by his disap¬ 
pointed countrymen into Bar-cosba, the Son of a Lie. The real name and 
origin of this arch-impostor is unknown. He is said to have been a rob¬ 
ber, and had learned, probably from the Egyptians, the juggler’s trick of 
keeping lighted tow or straw in his mouth; which led his credulous fol¬ 
lowers to imagine that he breathed flames of fire. 

t R. Akiba is stated, upon rabbinical authority, not to be of the pure 
blood of Israel, but descended (such is the rabbinical genealogy) from Si- 
sera, the general of Jabin, king of Tyre, by a Jewish mother. For forty 
years he lived a simple shepherd, tending the flocks of a rich citizen of 
Jerusalem, named Calba Sheva.* He became enamored of his master’s 
daughter: the wealthy Jew rejected the indigent shepherd, who was an 
alien from the race of Israel. But the lovers were secretly married, and 
Akiba left his bride immediately, and spent twelve years in study under the 
tuition of R. Eliezer, and R. Joshua. He returned, it is said, with twelve 
thousand disciples. But the unrelenting father had disinherited his daugh¬ 
ter. They lived in the greatest penury ; and she bore her first child on a 
bed of straw. Akiba went back for twelve years more to the seat of learn¬ 
ing. He returned again, followed by twenty-four thousand disciples; and 
her father at length, appeased or overawed by the fame of his son-in-law, 
broke his vow of implacable resentment, and bestowed on them sufficient 
property to enable them to live in splendor. A thousand volumes would 
not contain the wonderful things which Akiba did and said. He could 
give a reason for the use of the most insignificant letter of the law. A 
striking story is told of Akiba. His great maxim w r as, that “ every thing is 
ordained of Heaven for the best.” With this axiom on his lips, he was 
riding with his followers near the ruins of Jerusalem. They burst into 
tears at the melancholy sight; for to heighten their grief, they beheld a 
jackall prowling upon the Hill of the Temple. Akiba only observed, that 
“ the veI 7 successes of the idolatrous Romans, as they fulfilled the words 
of the prophets, were grounds of loftier hopes for the people of God.” 

* From Calab, dog, and Saba, full, or satisfied. According to the tradition of the 
Rabbis, this man was very wealthy and hospitable.: y/hen any one entered his 
house hungry as a dog, he was sure to be filled. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


85 


est of the rabbis, who, though now far advanced in years, 
exerted himself to swell the forces of the impostor with all 
the zeal and fire of youth. He was looked up to with pro¬ 
found homage by thousands of admiring disciples, acknow¬ 
ledged the claims of this new Messiah, and openly attached 
himself to his interest. “ Behold,” exclaimed the hoary 
enthusiast, “ behold the Star that is come out of Jacob; the 
days of the redemption are at hand.” 

The whole Jewish race were now in commotion, and 
speedily broke out into bold and open rebellion. Barcochab 
found himself at the head of two hundred thousand follow¬ 
ers. His first expedition was to make himself master of 
Jerusalem, of the rude town which had grown up amid the 
wreck and desolation. Here he unfurled his banner, and 
vast numbers rallied around him, actuated by an enthusiasm 
as frantic and futile as that which had laid their city and 
temple in ashes. Barcochab openly assumed the title of 
king, and is said to have issued coins bearing his superscrip¬ 
tion, and with the year of the freedom of Jerusalem as the 
date.* He prudently avoided a battle in the open field, and 
pursued a deliberate system of defensive warfare. On the 
arrival of the famous Julius Severus to take the command, 
he found the Jews in possession of fifty of the strongest 
fortresses and nine hundred and eighty-five unwalled towns. 
The Romans experienced considerable losses, and were 
opposed with obstinate valor ; but, at length, the discipline 
of the troops and the consummate generalship of Severus, 
brought the war nearly to a close. The strong city of Bi- 
therf alone remained in the hands of the insurgents. This 
also was stormed and taken, Barcochab was slain, and his 
head carried in triumph to the Roman camp. Great multi- 


* Tychsen and others have concluded, from extant coins, that Barco¬ 
chab was in possession of Jerusalem for three years; if so, it was from 
13*2 to 135 A. C. The coins, however, are of very doubtful date and au¬ 
thority. 

f The precise situation of this city is not known. It is placed by Euse¬ 
bius near Beth-horon, by others near the sea-coast. 

8 



86 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


tudes of his followers were put to the sword, and the re¬ 
mainder scattered. Hadrian, to annihilate forever all hopes 
of the restoration of the Jewish kingdom, accomplished his 
plan of founding a new city on the site of Jerusalem, and 
planting a Roman colony there ; thus decreeing the disin¬ 
heritance of the Jew, the perpetual alienation of the soil, 
and its legal appropriation to a foreign foe. The city was 
called iElia Capitolina ; iElia after the praenomen of the 
emperor, (jElius Hadrian,) and Capitolina to intimate its 
dedication to the Jupiter of the capitol. An edict was issued 
prohibiting any Jew from entering the new city, under pain 
of death, or even approaching its environs within three 
miles; so as to contemplate at a distance that which he re¬ 
garded as the dearest spot upon earth. More effectually to 
keep them away, the image of a hog in marble was placed 
over the gate leading to Bethlehem. The more peaceful 
Christians were permitted to establish themselves within the 
walls, and iElia became the seat of a flourishing church and 
bishopric. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

Power of the Patriarchate of Tiberias—The Mishma and Gemara—Jews 
and Samaritans under Severus—Caracalla—Heliogabalus—Alexander 

Severus—Zenobia of Jewish descent—Princedom of the Captivity_ 

The Babylonian Talmud—The Jerusalem Talmud—Jews in China. 

Under the mild government of Antoninus Pius, the Jews 
were restored to their former privileges, but were still ex¬ 
cluded from Jerusalem and its environs. During the rei<m 
of the philosopher Marcus Aurelius, Avidius Cassius, who 
subdued Mesopotamia, and thereby brought its Jewish in¬ 
habitants again under the Roman yoke, having assumed the 
title of emperor, was shortly after slain by his own soldiers. 
The Jews in Syria and Palestine espoused his cause, and 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


87 


thus provoked Marcus to repeal the favorable laws of his 
predecessor. It is probable, however, that his edict was 
either soon abrogated, or never carried into execution, for 
during a long period the proscribed race flourished in peace. 
The Western Jews formed themselves into a community, 
which acknowledged, as its spiritual head, Simon, son of 
Gamaliel, who, having received the titles of patriarch, and 
president of the Sanhedrim, fixed his residence at Tiberias. 
Those who dwelt at Babylon, had established a pontiff of 
their own ; but Simon, having previously confirmed his pre¬ 
rogative at home, succeeded in subjecting the others to his 
spiritual yoke. The authority of this patriarch was now 
admitted by the descendants of Abraham, wherever they had 
taken up their abode. His legates visited the synagogues 
throughout the world, to settle all differences which might 
arise, to receive the tribute levied every year in May, and 
to warn the people against all attempts to seduce them from 
the faith. The early Christian writers assert that these 
apostles traversed the empire for the purpose of anathema¬ 
tizing Jesus of Nazareth and his followers. It is certain 
that the Jews manifested the most bitter hatred towards his 
followers, which they testified by exciting the rabble against 
them ; and in particular, at the death of Polycarp, by 
endeavoring to persuade the Roman governor to deny the 
martyr’s body to his friends, alleging that they intended to 
renounce Christ and worship him.* Yet, it is manifest, the 
believers did not relax in their efforts to convince their He¬ 
brew brethren ; and these attempts were sometimes crowned 
with success. Thus Hegesippus, an author of the second 
century, and the first ecclesiastical historian, was a convert¬ 
ed Israelite.! Justin Martyr held a conference at Ephesus 
with Trypho, whom Eusebius terms “ the most distinguished 
among the Hebrews of the day,” and who is supposed to be 
the same with R. Tarphon, an associate of Akiba, and much 


* Euseb. Eccl. Hist. iv. 15. 

f His works have unfortunately perished, but some fragments of them 
' are preserved by Eusebius. 




88 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS 


celebrated in the Jewish writings. This disputation, how¬ 
ever, proved unavailing to shake his attachment to Ju- 
d,aisrp.* 

Simon was succeeded in the patriarchate by his son, Rabbi 
Jehuda, surnamed the Holy, from the purity of his life; and 
it being reported that he was born on the day on which 
Akiba died, his admirers compared him to the rising, as they 
did the other to the setting sun. He collected into one code 
the various traditions, interpretations of the written law, 
and decisions of the learned, which had previously existed 
in an unconnected state. This code was called the Mishna. 
Mishna denotes a second law. The Jews believe that all 
the precepts of the law, given to Moses, were accompanied 
with an interpretation. They say that God first dictated 
the text as it is written in the Pentateuch, and then gave 
Moses an explication of every part of it. It was command¬ 
ed that the text should be put into writing, and the explana¬ 
tion committed to memory, to be communicated to that 
generation, and transmitted to posterity by word of mouth. 
Hence the former is called the written law, and the latter 
the oral law. 

When Moses came down from the mount, he delivered 
both these laws to the people. As soon as he was returned 
to his tent, he was attended by Aaron, who sat at his feet, 
and to whom he recited the text and taught the interpreta¬ 
tion which he received from God in the mount. Then 
Aaron rising and seating himself on the right hand of Moses, 
Eleazer and Ithamar entered, and Moses repeated to them 
all that he had communicated to their father ; after which 
they arose and seated themselves, one on the left hand of 
Moses, and the other on the right hand of Aaron. Then 
went in the seventy elders, and Moses taught them in the 
same manner as he had taught Aaron and his sons. After¬ 
wards entered the congregation at large, or all of them Avho 


* According to Justin Martyr, the rabbis endeavored to prevent their 
followers from conversing with Christians upon the subject of religion. 
(Dial, with Tryph. c. 38.) 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


89 


were desirous of knowing the Divine will; and to them also 
Moses recited the text and the interpretation, in the same 
manner as before. These two laws, as delivered by Moses, 
had now been heard by Aaron four times, by his sons three 
times, by the seventy elders twice, and by the rest of the 
people once. After this, Moses withdrawing, Aaron repeat¬ 
ed the whole that he had heard from Moses, and withdrew ; 
then Eleazer and Ithamar did the same ; and on their with¬ 
drawing, the same was done by the seventy elders : so that 
each of them, having heard both these laws repeated four 
times, they all had them firmly fixed in their memories. 
Towards the end of the fortieth year after the departure 
from Egypt, Moses assembled the people, announced the 
time of his death to be near, directed those who had forgotten 
any tradition he had delivered, to come to him, that he might 
repeat it to them anew, and invited them to apply to him for 
a solution of all questions in which they found any difficulty. 
The last month of his life was employed in giving these 
repetitions and explications to the people, and especially to 
Joshua and his successor. Before Joshua died, all the inter¬ 
pretations which he had received from Moses were trans¬ 
mitted by him to the elders who survived him. These elders 
conveyed them to the prophets, and by one prophet they 
were delivered to another. In every generation the presi¬ 
dent of the Sanhedrim, or prophet of his age, for his own 
private use, wrote notes of these traditions, but taught in 
public only by word of mouth. Thus matters proceeded, no 
part of the oral law being committed to writing for public 
perusal, from the time of Moses to the days of Rabbi 
Jehuda. This celebrated rabbi observed that all the stu¬ 
dents of the law were gradually diminishing in number; 
that difficulties and distresses were multiplying; that the 
kingdom of iniquity (by which he designated Christianity) 
was increasing in strength, and extending itself over the 
world; and that the people of Israel were driven to the ends 
of the earth. Fearing, lest in these circumstances the tra¬ 
ditions would be forgotten and lost, he collected them all, 
arranged them, and divided them into six parts or orders. 

8* 


90 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


1. The first part is entitled Zeraim, (of seeds,) and treats 
of agriculture, and the laws relating to it. 

2. The second is called Moed, (of festivals,) and treats of 
the observance of the Sabbath and other holidays. 

S. The third is called Nashim, (of women,) and treats of 
the ceremonies of marriage and divorce, and of other matters 
relative to the intercourse between the sexes. 

4. The fourth is called Nezikin, (of damages ,) and treats 
of the laws regulating the conduct of men in civilized com¬ 
munities, and of the punishment due to their infraction. 

5. The fifth is called Kodashim, (of things holy,) and 
treats of offerings. 

6. The sixth is called Tahoroth, (of purifications,) and 
treats of the mode in which persons and things become un¬ 
clean, and of the ceremonies to be observed in their purifica¬ 
tion. 

The Mishna soon acquired all the authority which its 
compiler could desire, and even practically supplanted the 
Law of Moses, which henceforth remained in a mysterious 
obscurity, akin to that which enveloped the Bible in the 
dark ages of the church. The progress of commenting, 
however, was not arrested by this compilation, and a vast 
mass of supplementary tradition was gradually accumulated, 
which was afterwards embodied in the Talmuds of Babylon 
and Jerusalem. 

The rabbinical sovereigns of Tiberias, at the first estab¬ 
lishment of their dominion, showed a greater spirit of 
toleration towards the Samaritans, than had characterized 
the Jewish people in the later period of their existence as 
a separate nation. This change in their demeanor was first 
introduced by the authority of Akiba, who is supposed to 
have formed a scheme for uniting into one firm league all 
who claimed Israelitish descent. But this spirit of amity 
soon passed away, and the rival sects resumed that hostility 
which had formerly disgraced their intercourse. In the 
contest for the empire between Severus and Pescennius 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


91 


Niger, the Jews espoused the cause of the former, the 
Samaritans that of the latter. Severus punished the one 
by depriving them of their privileges as Roman citizens ; 
and rewarded the fidelity of the other by confirming the 
favorable edict of Antoninus Pius. He, besides, permitted 
them to enjoy various offices and distinctions, while he ex¬ 
empted them from the necessity of discharging functions 
such as those of decursions, which were generally shunned 
on account of their expense and inconvenience.* The same 
emperor persecuted the Christians, and the Jews showed 
themselves by no means backward to insult the hated sect of 
the Nazarenes. Yet, favored as they were by the monarch, 
they were still forbidden to approach the Holy City; and 
Tertullian, who at this period wrote his Apology, upbraided 
them as wanderers over the face of the earth, who were not 
allowed even to set foot within their native land. 

The members of each religion alike claim the honor of 
having furnished a nurse to Caracalla, the tyrannical suc¬ 
cessor of Severus. A rabbinical tradition asserts, that when 
a child, he wept bitterly upon seeing one of his playmates 
whipped by order of his father, who was a Jew. Few 
traces of such sympathy can be found in the future conduct 
of this ruler, who provoked the universal hatred of mankind 
during a reign of six years. It does not, however, appear 
that he persecuted the Hebrews on account of their belief, 
though they doubtless shared in the general misery of the 
empire under his oppressive administration. 

Among the various whims which Heliogabalus displayed, 
while seated on the imperial throne, must be classed his 
adoption of the Jewish customs of circumcision and absti¬ 
nence ftoin swine’s flesh. Yet it is said that the same 
people were only saved by his death from a persecution, 
which must have overtaken them, on their refusal to wor- 


* An account of the Decursions will be found in Professor Spalding’s 
Italy and the Italian Islands, (Edinburgh Cabinet Library, Nos. xxix. xxx. 
xxxi.) vol. i. p. 113—115. 




92 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


ship the god whose name he bore,* and who he had 
determined should be the only deity adored throughout the 
empire. 

During the thirteen years in which the prudent and 
amiable Alexander Severus adorned the purple, the Jews 
as well as the Christians enjoyed his protection and favor ; 
he even placed an image of Abraham in his private chapel, 
among the persons whom he deemed worthy of divine honor. 
The wits of that time gave him the nickname of Ruler of 
the Synagogue.f 

The Jewish history is marked by few events from the 
reign of Alexander to that of Constantine. Perhaps from 
the smallness of their numbers, they did not excite that 
jealousy at Rome which was so frequently directed against 
the Christians in the most cruel persecutions.^ They might, 
besides, derive some glory from the brief but splendid career 
of Zenobia, the Queen of the East, who was of Israelitish 
extraction; and the commercial spirit, for which they were 
already remarkable, would contribute to the wealth of her 
favorite city Palmyra. But Athanasius, at the same time, 
commends this princess for her toleration of the believers, 
affirming that she never permitted the churches to be con¬ 
verted into synagogues; and contrasts this conduct with 
that of the Arian emperors, who without scruple wrested 
from the orthodox party their places of worship, in order to 
bestow them on their own heretical followers. During her 
reign, Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch, is said to have 


* The emperor had taken the name of this divinity as being his priest, 
f Basnage, book vi. chap. xii. 

| M. Capefigue (History of the Jews,) ascribes the tranquillity and even 
favor which that people generally enjoyed, from the reign of Antoninas 
Pius to that of Diocletian,to the influence of the Neo-Platonic philosophy, 
the object of which was to represent all the various forms of religion as 
modifications of one common system, and therefore equally entitled to re¬ 
spect. An exception to this principle was made in the case of Christian¬ 
ity, whose rapid progress excited in the minds of the Neo-Platonists a hos¬ 
tility which was not called forth by the unproselytizing temper of Judaism 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


93 


endeavored to bring about a union between Judaism and 
Christianity. But, as might have been anticipated, his 
efforts were indignantly rejected by both parties ; and he 
met with the just reward of his heartless latitudinarianism, 
in being deprived of his see by the council of Antioch. 

During this period, the Jews, in the province of Mesopo¬ 
tamia, were in a most flourishing condition. We have 
already stated that the Babylonian pontiff, who took the 
title of Prince of the Captivity, had been obliged to ac¬ 
knowledge the superiority of Simon, the first patriarch of 
Tiberias. But this submission, which from the first was 
very unwillingly paid, Avas probably of no long continuance, 
and it is certain that the oriental priest speedily outshone 
his rival in splendor and authority. He assumed much of 
the pomp and royalty, was inaugurated with great splendor, 
and maintained the stately seclusion peculiar to Eastern 
sovereigns, seldom leaving his palace except to visit the 
schools of the learned, which began to equal the most cele¬ 
brated institutions of Palestine. The court of this Jewish 
prince was modelled after the fashion of his Persian master, 
and rabbis, instead of satraps, were appointed over the 
various communities. It is probable that such magnificence 
was supported by a tribute levied from the people, in place 
of that which in former times had been paid for the support 
of the Temple at Jerusalem. Many of the Jews in that 
quarter were so rich, that it was said of one of their mer¬ 
chants at Babylon, that he possessed one thousand vessels 
on the sea and one thousand cities on land. 

The splendor of the Prince of the Captivity, and the 
wealth of his subjects, attest the peace and indulgence 
which they enjoyed during the continuance of the Parthian 
dynasty. Nor does their condition appear to have been 
altered for the worse, by the revolution which took place 
about the year 226, whereby that line was destroyed, and 
Artaxerxes, a descendant of the ancient Persian monarchs, 
was placed upon the throne. The new monarch, it is true, 
w hile he restored the Magian religion to its former suprema¬ 
cy, prohibited by an edict the exercise of every other. But 


94 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


the industry and commercial spirit of the Jews soon induced 
him to relax the severity of his decree, in order to retain 
these useful persons in his dominions. Such is the conclu¬ 
sion, which, in the absence of positive testimony, it seems 
warrantable to draw from the manner in which their wealth 
increased and their learning flourished during the third 
century. At this epoch the schools of Nahardea, Sora, 
and Pumbeditha, attained to great celebrity ; and, in the 
estimation of the Eastern Jews, were well entitled to 
dispute the palm even with the far-famed academy of Tibe¬ 
rias itself.* The heads of these institutions in some meas¬ 
ure shared the authority of the Prince of the Captivity, and 
their decisions were regarded with reverence throughout 
all Mesopotamia. 

During this period of peace and prosperity, it is most 
probable that the Babylonian Talmud was composed. This 
stupendous work, which was compiled under the superin¬ 
tendance of Rabbi Asche, contains the opinions of about 
thirteen hundred learned men. It exacted the unremitted 
labor of thirty years. It consists of two parts, the Mishna, 
which we have already noticed, and the Geinara, or com¬ 
mentary. This compilation has been termed “ an extraor¬ 
dinary monument of human industry, human wisdom, and 
human folly; and is designated the Babylonian Talmud , and 
very properly so, for it is an extraordinary Babel, or most 
inconceivable mixture of political economy, ethics, a little 
astronomy, logic, metaphysics, jurisprudence, allegories, and 
fables, of the most ridiculous and contemptible nature. Mr. 
Finn, in his “Sephardim,” rightly styles it “one of the 
most trashy and cumbrous impositions that ever depraved a 
nation’s intellect, or undermined their moral principles, not 
superior, if equal, to the Koran, and only one step above 
the legends of Hindoo Bramins: containing indeed a few 
spangles of gold, the relics of a pure tradition, but the 


* That seminary had previously been regarded as a Jewish Athens, in 
which a residence for some time was necessary in order to entitle a 
scholar to a reputation for learning. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


95 


greater part being of base metal encrusted with a poisonous 
oxide.” The reader, at each successive extract, hesitates 
w hether to admire the views of profound allegorical truth 
and the pleasing moral apologue, to smile at the monstrous 
extravagance, or to shudder at the daring blasphemy. To 
the Jew the Talmud became the magic circle within which 
the national mind patiently labored for ages, in performing 
the bidding of the ancient and mighty enchanters who drew 
the sacred line beyond which it might not venture to pass. 

Previous to the undertaking of this great work, a similar 
one had been accomplished in Palestine, which received the 
name of the Talmud of Jerusalem. This was executed by 
Rabbi Johanan, with the assistance of two other Hebrews 
named Rab and Samuel; but authors are not agreed as to 
the precise period when the latter compilation was made. 
As the emperor Diocletian is mentioned in it, it could not 
have been completed before the end of the third century. 
It is less voluminous and less esteemed than the other; and 
it has been supposed that the rival treatise was commenced 
on account of the dissatisfaction which prevailed in regard 
to the meagreness of the Jerusalem Talmud, as well as with 
the barbarous dialect in which it was written. 

The authority of the Prince of the Captivity probably 
extended over all the Jews scattered throughout the various 
provinces of the Persian empire. Before this time some of 
them had established themselves in China ;* where their 


* Mr. Finn’s work, containing a history of the Jews in China, is divided 
into five chapters, which treat on the following subjects :— 
u I. Discovery and Intercourse. 

“ II. The Synagogue. 

“ III. Scripture and Literature. 
tl IV. Inscriptions, History, &c. 

“ V. Reflections.” 

The following is the account which Mr. F. gives of the large synagogue 
in Kae-fung-foo: 

“ The whole place of worship occupies a space of between three and 
four hundred feet in length, by about one hundred and fifty in breadth, 



96 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


descendants were found by the Jesuit missionaries, in the 
seventeenth century, though reduced from seventy families 
to seven. They had no knowledge of Christ or his religion, 
—a fact which may lead us to suppose that they had settled 


comprising four successive courts, advancing from the east to the syna¬ 
gogue itself at the extreme west. 

“ The first court has in its centre * a large, noble, beautiful arch/ (Pae- 
fang,) bearing a golden inscription in Chinese, dedicating the locality to 
the Creator and Preserver of all things. There are also some trees inter¬ 
spersed. 

“ The second court is entered from tlje first, by a large gate with two 
side doors, and two wickets beside them. Its walls are flanked to the 
north and south by dwellings for the keepers of the edifice. 

“ The third court has the same kind of entrance from the second as that 
has from the first. In its centre stands an arch like that in the first court. 
Upon the walls, between the trees, are marble tablets (Pae-ioan,) with 
inscriptions in Chinese. Part of this court is flanked by commemorative 
chapels: that on the south, in memory of an Israelite mandarin named 
Chao, the judge of a city of second degree, who formerly rebuilt the syna¬ 
gogue after its destruction by fire : that on the north, in memory of him 
who erected all the present edifice. There are also some reception rooms 
for guests. 

“ The fourth court is parted in two by a row of trees. Half way along 
this line stands a great brazen vase for incense, at the sides of which are 
placed two figures of lions, upon marble pedestals 5 and at the westward 
sides of these lions are two large brazen vases, containing flowers. Ad¬ 
joining the northern wall is a recess, in which the nerves and sinews are 
extracted from animals slain for food. The second division of this court is 
an empty space, with a ‘ hall of ancestors » (Tsoo-tang) at each of its sides 
to the north and to the south. In these they venerate, at the vernal and 
autumnal equinoxes, the worthies of the Old Testament history, after the 
Chinese manner, but having merely the name of the person upon each 
tablet, without his picture. The only furniture these contain are a great 
number of censers 3 the largest one in honor of Abraham, and the rest, of 
Isaac, Jacob, the twelve sons of Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Ezra, and 
others, both male and female. In the open space between these chapels 
they erect their annual booths of boughs and flowers, at the Feast of Tab 
ernacles. 

“ Then occurs the synagogue itself, a building of about sixty feet by 
forty, covered by a fourfold and handsome roof, having a portico with a 
double row of four columns, and a balustrade before it. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


97 


there before the coming of our Lord; as it seems unlikely 
that they should, even in the course of so many ages, have 
lost all memory of so remarkable a personage. Being 
industrious, they were much esteemed by their heathen 


u Within this edifice the roofs (as usual in Chinese domestic architec¬ 
ture) are sustained by rows of pillars besides the walls. In the centre of 
all is 1 the throne of Moses/ a magnificent and elevated chair, with an em¬ 
broidered cushion, upon which they place the book of the law while it is 
read. Over this a dome is suspended : and near it i6 the Wan-suy-pae, or 
tablet, with the emperor's name in golden characters, enclosed within a 
double line of scroll-work. This, however, is surmounted by the inscrip¬ 
tion in Hebrew letters of gold :— 

HEAR, O ISRAEL : 

THE LORD OUR GOD IS ORB LORD. 

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE GLORY OF HIS KINGDOM FOR EVER 

1 ' 1 

AND EVER. 

After this, a triple arch bears the following inscription, likewise in He¬ 
brew :— 

BLESSED BE THE LORD FOR EVER. 

THE LORD IS GOD OF GODS, AND THE LORD 
A GREAT GOD, STRONG AND TERRIBLE. 

Then a large table, upon which are placed eix candelabra in one line, with 
a great vase for incense, having handles, and a tripod standing, half way 
along the line. These candelabra are in three different forms, and bear 
three different kinds of lights. Those nearest the vase bear torches, the 
next on each side have candles, and those at the extremities, ornamental 
lanterns. Near this table is a laver for washing hands. 

“ Lastly, the Beth-el, or Teen-tang (house of heaven) square in outward 
shape, but rounded within. Into this none but the rabbi may enter during 
the time of prayer. Here, upon separate tables, stand twelve rolls of the 
law, corresponding to the tribes of Israel, besides one in the centre in 
honor of Moses, each enclosed in a tent of silken curtains. On the ex- 
treme western wall are the tablets of the Ten Commandments, in golden 
letters of Hebrew. Beside each of these tablets is a closet containing 
manuscript books, and in front of each closet a table, bearing a vase and 
two candelabra. 

u The congregation, when assembled for devotion, are separated from 
the Beth-el by a balustrade, some standing in recesses along the walls. 
Against a column is suspended a calendar for the reading of the law.” 
(Page 16—20.) 

It appears that the Jews in China have been most remarkable in their 

9 



98 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


neighbors, and some of them had attained the rank of man¬ 
darins. They strictly observed the Sabbath, practised 
circumcision on the eighth day, possessed copies of the law, 
and intermarried only among themselves. They had no 
desire to make proselytes,—a circumstance which probably 
contributed to the esteem in which they were held. Their 


steadfast and silent opposition to the heathenish forms of religious wor¬ 
ship which have prevailed around them. 

“ Their alienation from idolatry is particularly striking, after so long an 
exposure to the superstitions of the country, guided as these are by impe¬ 
rial influence. They refuse to take an oath in an idol temple ; and the 
conspicuous inscriptions upon the walls and arches proclaim their stead¬ 
fastness in this matter, even upon that delicate point of the emperor’s 
name, which in the synagogue they have surmounted by the most signifi¬ 
cant of possible warnings against confounding any reverence whatever 
with that due to the ‘ blessed and only Potentate.’ 

u Nor must we omit to remark their interesting practice of praying west¬ 
wards, towards Jerusalem.” (Page 25.) 

They have also been faithful in preserving those oracles of God which 
have been committed to them. 

“ As we have already seen, the synagogue of Kae-fung-foo possesses 
thirteen copies of the law, kept within coverings of silk. These are de¬ 
nominated Ta-king, or Temple-Scripture. The rolls measure about two 
feet in length, and are rather more than one foot in diameter. 

“ Besides these, there is in the Beth-el a large number of nearly square 
books (not rolls) of about Beven inches by five, some new, others very old; 
but all much neglected, and lying in confusion. The people classified 
them nominally, as follows :— 

“ 1. Ta-king, in fifty-three books, each containing one section of the 
law, for the Sabbath-days. 

“ 2. Tsin-soo, or supplementary books; called Ha-foo-ta-la, or Haph- 
torah. These are portions of Joshua, Judges, Samuel. Kings, and the 
Prophets. 

“3. Historical books, viz :—Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, (four 
or five of the first chapters), and the two first books of Maccabees, called 
Mattathi, the latter whole, but not in good condition. 

“ Keang-chang, or the Expositors. These are much defaced, and have 
lost their titles. The brief liesure of the missionaries did not allow of a 
close examination into these books, their attention having been especially 
directed to the law of Moses. 

“ 5. Le-pae, the ritual or ceremonial books, about fifty in number, and 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


99 


place of worship, like the temple of Jerusalem, had a Holy 
of Holies, in which were kept the sacred manuscripts, and 
into which none but the chief priest was allowed to enter. 
They maintained too the distinguished tenet of the Israelit- 
ish creed, by cherishing a fond anticipation of the Messiah. 


slightly differing in shape from the rest. One of these bears on its cover 
the title * The Perpetual Afternoon-Service.’ ” (Pages 28, 29.) 

An important question must naturally arise concerning the period when 
this colony of Hebrews first settled in China. Men greatly distinguished 
for their acquirements in Oriental literature have framed a theory from 
other sources that they derive their origin from the ten tribes of Israel. 
The accounts of the missionaries, however, and the popular summaries of 
the same, have, unreservedly, spoken of them as belonging to the tribes 
of Judah. 

Mr. Finn adduces the following arguments in support of the latter sup¬ 
position :— 

“ But that the Hebrews in Ho-nan are Jew's of the restoration from 
Chaldrea, is evident from the following considerations :— 

« 1 . The tablets speak of a tradition of the law from its origin to the 
time of Ezra , 1 the second law-giver and reformer of the people;’ a de¬ 
scription which implies a knowledge of the re-establishment in Jerusalem. 

« 2. They possess, besides some portion of the prophetical books written 
after the captivity of the ten tribes by Shalmaneser, a few verses of Daniel, 
and the book of Esther, (whom they venerate under the title of ' the great 
mother,’) in which the word Jew occurs many times, although the words 
Israel and Israelite are not found there at all. 

« 3 . Their Haphtorah (a selection dating only from the persecution by 
Antiochus Epiphanes, about a. c. 170) comprises portions out of prophets 
who lived in Jerusalem during the second temple, as Zechariah and 
Malachi. 

u 4 They have adopted the Celeucidan era of chronology. 

« 5 . In the list of rabbis annexed to the section-book, Bereshith, are found 
the titles, ‘ our master, our rabbi,' &c., which give it quite a Talmudic 
complexion : and they have rabbinical rules for slaughtering. 

11 The synagogue inscription over the emperor’s tablet, is a verse from 
Scripture, frequently repeated in Jewish liturgies to the present day. 

“The force of all the above reasons might indeed be abated, by taking 
into account, that for several centuries their sacred books, and some of 
their teachers have reached them from another country in the west, and 
concluding that thus only may have been imported the later Scriptures 
and Jewish peculiarities. But this conclusion is entirely gratuitous, with¬ 
out evidence of even the lowest degree. 



CHAPTER IX 




The Establishment of Christianity as the .National Religion^-Edicts of 
Constantine—Jerusalem becomes a Place of Christian Pilgrimage- 
Persecution of the Christians in Persia excited by the Jews—Rebellion 
in Palestine, and consequent decrees of Constantius—Conversion of 
Epiphanius—Julian’s attempt to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem—In¬ 
tolerant Zeal of Ambrose—Jerome studies under various Rabbis—Re¬ 
markable Conversion of the Jews in Minorca—Theodosius [I. prohibits 
the celebration of the Feast of Purim—Contests between the Jews and 
Christians—Tumult at Alexandria—Moses at Crete—Suppression of 
the Patriarchate of Tiberias.—From A. D. 340 to A. D. 434. 


Little impression was made on the minds of the Jews 
by the triumph of Christianity over Paganism, in the person 
of Constantine. As their forefathers had shut their eyes to 
the miracles which attested the divine character and mission 
of our Savior, so they would not regard it as any proof of 
the favor of God that the religion of the Gospel was now 
embraced and favored by the emperor. They probably 
thought that the Almighty, for wise but mysterious reasons, 


“ That this, however, is a very ancient off-shoot from the Jerusalem 
Jews, anterior, probably, to the incarnation of Christ, seems plain, from 
their ignorance of his name Jesus, ‘ that which is above every name,’ until 
it was mentioned to them by the missionaries; perhaps, also, from their 
indifference towards the crucifix ; from their freedom from rabbinical despo¬ 
tism ; and, above all, from those religious usages in which they differ from 
all Jews known elsewhere, such as reading the law through a veil, erect¬ 
ing a throne for Moses, together with their diversity in the sections of the 
law, and in their ritual of worship. But these will not lead us to declare 
their descent from the ten tribes.” (Page 58—GO.) 

There are many other particulars mentioned in this work which we 
would gladly notice, but we abstain, hoping that it will be extensively pe¬ 
rused with the attention it so highly deserves. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


101 


had permitted a temporary victory to the hated Nazarenes, 
while he still cherished the descendants of Abraham as his 
peculiar people, and was resolved, in his own good time, 
fully to recompense them for every trial of their faith and pa¬ 
tience, by the glorious successes and lasting triumph of the 
long expected Messiah. On the other hand, the Christians, 
embittered by previous misfortunes, or intoxicated by present 
prosperity, might be disposed to revenge on the adherents of 
Judaism the injuries which they had so often sustained from 
them; being sensible that the zealous Israelites looked upon 
them as apostates from their God, and regarded them with 
a fiercer abhorrence than they cherished towards the most 
bigoted votaries of Paganism. Those of them whose minds 
were unenlightened and unsanctified by a right appreciation 
of the spirit of the Gospel, might imagine that they were 
doing Jehovah a service by persecuting the progeny of 
those unhappy men who had, with unhallowed violence, 
demanded the crucifixion of the Lord of glory, and with 
a fierce and desperate fanaticism exclaimed, “ His blood 
be on us and on our children.” Hurried away by zeal 
without knowledge, they might forget that Jesus had 
wept over the guilty city itself when he thought of its 
approaching downfall, thereby teaching his followers, that 
pity, not hatred, ought to be the predominant feeling in their 
hearts towards their Jewish brethren. 

Yet the intolerant maxims of too many of the clergy and 
people were by no means responded to by the emperor; 
for Constantine, who allowed his Pagan subjects the free 
exercise of their worship, extended the same indulgence to 
the progeny of Jacob. He, however, deprived the body at 
large of the liberty of refusing the decurionate and other 
burdensome offices, as this invidious distinction had excited 
the murmurs of the Christians. By another edict he made 
all Jews, who should in any way endanger the life of a con¬ 
vert, liable to the punishment of being burnt alive,—a meas¬ 
ure which showed what they might have to apprehend from 
their determined hatred of the new faith. Nor was this 
statute founded on vague inferences of their intolerant 

9 * 


102 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


temper, for the Mishna sanctioned the destruction of all who 
abandoned the creed of their fathers, and by the zealous Jew 
that code was regarded with implicit veneration. During 
the reign of Constantine, all believers were forbidden to 
embrace the rites of Moses, under pain of an arbitrary pun¬ 
ishment, and Jews were interdicted from possessing Chris¬ 
tian slaves. This latter enactment, though renewed by 
Constantius, was repealed by Honorius, who merely re¬ 
quired masters to give their bondmen full liberty to worship 
God as they might deem right. 

But the Jews were still more irritated by the manner in 
which the Holy City was adorned by the munificence of the 
converted empefor. The name of iElia had supplanted the 
original term, at least among the Pagans, insomuch that 
when one of the martyrs, in the persecution of Maximin, on 
being asked of what city he was, answered, cc of Jerusa¬ 
lem,” neither the governor of the province, nor any of his 
assistants, knew what place he meant. But Constantine 
restored its ancient appellation, and beautified it with so 
many splendid edifices, that Eusebius irreverently imagined 
it might be the New Jerusalem foretold by the prophets. 
Helena, the mother of the emperor, reared the stately 
church of the Holy Sepulchre on Mount Calvary ; thus, as 
it were, attesting the victory which the religion of the cross 
had gained ever the rival creeds of Judaism and Heathen¬ 
ism. Pilgrims began to flock from all quarters of the world 
to the place where the Lord had taught, suffered, and ex¬ 
pired ; and the natural feelings of reverence with which 
they approached the* scene of his crucifixion, were aug¬ 
mented by the sight of the reputed instruments of his pas¬ 
sion. The age was in no small degree credulous and super¬ 
stitious ; and believed, with implicit faith, that the nails, 
the cross, the spear, and the crown of thorns then exhibited, 
were indeed the very implements employed in the Savior’s 
agonies. This concourse of pious visitors could not but 
prove exceedingly offensive to the seed of Israel. 

About the same time, the council of Illiberis in Spain, 
made two enactments against the Jews, who were very 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


103 


numerous in that country,* forbidding the Christians, under 
pain of excommunication, to eat with them ; and prohibiting, 
under the same penalty, the former to offer up at rural 
festivities their usual prayer for a blessing upon the fruits of 
the earth. They alleged that such petitions were displeas¬ 
ing to God, and would mar the effect of the benedictions of 
the churoh. 

In the time of Constantine the Jews revenged themselves, 
by exciting a furious persecution against the believers in 
Persia. The Gospel having penetrated into that country 
through Armenia, whose king, Tiridates, had been con¬ 
verted to the true faith, made considerable progress ; and 
among others, Ustasades, one of the chief ministers of Sapor 
the Second, embraced it. This provoked the Hebrews, who, 
combining with the Magi against the Christians, accused 
their bishop of a treasonable correspondence with the llo- 
mans, and thus worked so far upon the fears of the king as 
to induce him to allow a general persecution in his domin¬ 
ions. Ustasades was the first martyr, and the churches 
throughout Persia were levelled with the ground.f 

The turbulent spirit of the Jews provoked Constantius to 
greater severity against them. Their conduct at Alexan¬ 
dria, indeed, disgraceful as it was, could not be displeasing 
to the emperor, since they joined with the Pagans and 
Arians in insulting the Trinitarian party, and supporting the 
claims of Gregory the Cappadocian, who was intruded, by 
the authority of the court, into the see of which Athana¬ 
sius had been unjustly deprived. But their rebellious 
attempt in Palestine might justify, or at least excuse, the 
course which the monarch adopted. They took advantage 
of the revolt of Magnentius in the west, and the invasion of 


* The Jews contend that they were introduced into Spain by the fleets 
of Solomon and the arms of Nebuchadnezzar; that Hadrian transported 
forty thousand families of the tribe of Judah, and ten thousand of the tribe 
of Benjamin, Ac. Basnage Hist, des Juifs, tom. 7, c. 9, p. 240—256. 

f Basnage, book vi. chap. xiv. 



104 


HISTORY OP THE JEWS. 


Sapor in the east, to raise an insurrection. This was, how¬ 
ever, soon put down by Gallus, the cousin of Constantius 
and brother of Julian the Apostate, who defeated the rebels, 
and destroyed Dio Cesarea, the head-quarters of the revolt. 

Constantius made it a capital crime for them to marry 
Christians, or circumcise their slaves. He renewed the 
edict of Adrian, which forbade their approach to Jerusalem, 
taxed them heavily, and meditated the imposition of addi¬ 
tional burdens upon them, when he was prevented by death 
from carrying his design into execution. It was in this 
reign that the conversion of Epiphanius from Judaism is 
said to have taken place. His biographer states that this 
change in his religious views was occasioned by a miracle, 
which he witnessed in the case of a monk, who, having 
stripped himself to give alms to a beggar, immediately 
received a robe, which fell from heaven! The convert 
afterwards became bishop of Salamis, in Cyprus, and wrote 
various works, still extant. He was a man of great learn¬ 
ing, and in his knowledge of Hebrew possessed an advan¬ 
tage over most of the Fathers.* 

The Jews regarded with joy the accession of Julian the 
Apostate, not from any love he bore the Jews, but out of hatred 
to the Christians, whose faith he had abjured, and with the 
avowed design of defeating the prophecies which declared 
that the temple should not be rebuilt till the times of the Gen¬ 
tiles were fulfilled, wrote to the Jews a conciliatory epistle, 
denounced their oppressors, repealed the unequal taxes with 
which they were loaded, invited them back to their city, and 
promised to restore their temple and nation. Materials 
were accumulated from all quarters, and great numbers of 
workmen were employed to clear the foundations. The 
work was commenced ; already had they dug to a consider¬ 
able depth, and were preparing to lay the foundations of the 
new edifice, when balls of fire came bursting from the centre 
of the hill, accompanied by terrific explosions. The affright¬ 
ed workmen fled on all sides, and the work was suspended 


Basnage, book yi. chap, xiv 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


105 


at once by this unforeseen and appalling sign. Other phe¬ 
nomena are said to have accompanied this event. An earth¬ 
quake shook the hill from its circumference to its centre, 
from its summit to its very base ; flakes of fire, which took 
the form of crosses, settled on the dresses of the workmen 
and spectators ; and even the tools of iron were consumed 
by preternatural fire. It is even added that a mysterious 
horseman was seen careering among the flames ; and that 
the workmen having fled to a neighboring church, its doors, 
fastened from within by some unseen force, refused them 
admittance. These, however, are evident embellishments, 
and are found only in later and rhetorical writers ; but the 
main fact of the interruption of the work by some extraor¬ 
dinary, and, to all appearance, super-human interference, 
rests upon testimony, clear, credible, and conclusive. It is 
attested by Ammianus Marcellinus, a heathen, and a per¬ 
sonal friend of Julian ; by Zemuch David, a Jew ; by Nazi- 
anzen, Chrysostom, Ambrose Ruffinus, Theodoret, Sozomen, 
and Socrates, who wrote his account within fifty years after 
the transaction, and while many eye-witnesses of it were 
still living. So stubborn, indeed, is the proof of this mira¬ 
cle, that even Gibbon, who strives to invalidate it, is com¬ 
pelled to acknowledge the general fact. 

The very short reign of Jovian afforded little time for the 
exhibition of his sentiments towards the Jews. The two 
brothers, Valentinian and Valens, who next succeeded, 
maintained that people in the possession of nearly all their 
rights ; but were constrained, by the necessity of the times, 
to withdraw one of their greatest privileges—exemption 
from the public service. The words of the decree are as 
follows:—“ The edict upon which the Jews flatter them¬ 
selves that they are exempted from the offices of court is 
voided by these presents, for even the clergy are not allowed 
to consecrate themselves to the service of God without 
having previously discharged their duty to their country ; 
and he that would devote himself to God, must first find a 
substitute to undertake his share in the public services.” 

Although the emperors themselves were sufficiently wil 


106 


HISTORY Or THE JEWS. 


ling to protect the Jews in the exercise of their religion, and 
impose upon them merely a just share of the public burdens, 
they occasionally found it very difficult to restrain the ardent 
zeal of the more intolerant churchmen, in an age when 
ecclesiastical authority had attained an alarming height. 
A memorable instance of this occurred in the reign of 
Theodosius the Great. A synagogue had been erected in 
the small town of Callinicum, in the province of Osroene, 
near the frontiers of Persia. The bishop of the place stirred 
up the populace, who burnt the synagogue, together with a 
conventicle of the Valentinian heretics. The turbulent 
prelate was ordered by the governor of the district either to 
rebuild the synagogue or pay the damage.* This very 
reasonable command was confirmed by the emperor ; but the 
affair came to the knowledge of Ambrose, archbishop of 
Milan, who, from the weight of his private character, 
exercised a very powerful influence at the imperial court. 
He boldly wrote to Theodosius, then in the archiepiscopal 
city, reproving him for his edict, which he considered im¬ 
pious ; and asserting that he himself would have no scruple 
to act, in similar circumstances, as the Bishop of Callinicum 
had done. His remonstrance had the desired effect, and 
the intolerance of the Eastern prelate was suffered to remain 
unpunished. We may admire equally the justice of Am¬ 
brose in exacting, and the humility of the emperor in 
performing, the public penance which was called for by the 
massacre of Thessalonica ; but we must regret that, on this 
occasion, the pious Archbishop of Milan evinced himself so 
much a slave to the persecuting principles of his age.f 

Although Theodosius, on one occasion, sacrificed the 
interest of justice in compliance with the injunctions of the 
eloquent churchmen, he showed himself, at other times, 
mindful of the eourse which sound policy, as well as the 
true spirit of the Gospel, required him to pursue towards the 


* It does not appear that any compensation was ordered to be made to 
the Valentinians. 

f Basnage, book vi. chap. xiv. Gibbon, chap, xxvii. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


107 


Jews. In an edict, issued shortly before his death, he 
strictly forbade the Christians to plunder or demolish their 
synagogues, and commanded the governors of provinces to 
take care that those who disobeyed this law should be 
severely punished. By maintaining the Hebrews in the 
unmolested exercise of their w orship, he showed them more 
favor than he manifested towards the Pagans, whose tem¬ 
pleswere dismantled, and whose sacrifices were prohibited ; 
or towards the heretics, whose churches were shut up during 
his reign. 

Ambrose, in a letter to this monarch, accused the Jews 
of disloyalty, asserting that they did not think themselves 
obliged to obey the laws of the empire. This may have 
been a hasty inference from their practice of electing judges 
of their own religion, to whose jurisdiction they submitted 
their disputes. Chrysostom says that these officers were 
chosen annually in the month of September; and that, 
acting under the sanction of the patriarch, had full power 
to punish offenders belonging to their fraternity, even to the 
extent of excommunication. Some Jews, thinking them¬ 
selves aggrieved by the exercise of this authority, had 
recourse to the Roman tribunals, who enjoined that they 
should be received back into their society. The judges 
complained to the emperor, who relieved them from this 
oppressive interference, and ordered that all disputed cases 
should be referred to the patriarch and the chief persons of 
the synagogue. 

But even yet they were not allowed to enter Jerusalem, 
for an edict of Adrian was revived, and guards were posted 
at the gates to enforce it. We are told hy Jerome, that 
these soldiers used to betray their trust, and suffer them¬ 
selves to be bribed by the Jews, who thus stole in to weep 
over the desolation of the Temple, especially on the anniver¬ 
sary of the destruction of the city by Titus.* They seem 
not to have enjoyed the privilege of visiting the city as long 
as it remained in the possession of the Emperors of the East. 


* Newton on the Prophecies, Dobson’s edit. p. 371. 




108 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS 


The Christian clergy at this time were in general ignorant 
of the Hebrew language ; but Jerome applied himself vigo¬ 
rously to the study of it under various masters. The most 
distinguished of these was a rabbi, called Barabbanus, who 
came to him by night, in order to avoid the odium which 
would have been excited against him among bis brethren, if 
he had openly given instruction to a believer in the Gospel 
Jerome’s intimacy with this learned Jew was ridiculed by 
his adversary Ruffinus, who gave to the rabbi the nickname 
of Barabbas. The learned father boasted greatly of his 
success in this pursuit, and exaggerated the difficulty of the 
language, in order to acquire the greater renown for his 
industry in surmounting it. He was regarded by his clerical 
brethren as a prodigy of erudition. 

At the death of Theodosius the Great, the Roman domin¬ 
ions were finally divided into the empires of the East and 
West. The latter subsisted, though in a state of increasing 
feebleness, about eighty years, and was then extinguished 
in the person of Augustulus. There are but few edicts of 
those princes which have any reference to the race of Abra¬ 
ham. The most important of them forbid the erection of 
new synagogues, and prohibit the Jews from serving in the 
army, probably on account of the jealousy of the Christians, 
who might imagine that the presence of Israelitish warriors 
would be offensive to the God of battles. Yet it may be* 
doubted whether this latter restriction was regretted by 
these last, who were chiefly employed in trade, and in all 
probability shared the feelings of the time, which viewed 
military service as an intolerable burden. But the most 
remarkable event of this period, in which they were con¬ 
cerned, was the conversion of upwards of five hundred of 
their body at Minorca.* In the capital of that island the 


* At Minorca, the relics of St. Stephen converted, in eight days, five 
hundred and forty Jews$ with the help, indeed, of some wholesome sever¬ 
ities, such as burning the synagogue, driving the poor oppressed Israelites 
to starve among the rocks, &c. See the original letter of Severus, 
Bishop of Minorca, (ad calem St. Augustin, de civ. Dei) and the judicious 
remarks of Basnage, (tom. viii. p 245—251.) 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


109 


Jews were numerous and wealthy, and excited the special 
attention of Severus the bishop, who earnestly desired to 
gain them to the true faith. The whole circumstances of 
the case, as related by himself, present a curious picture of 
the superstition and intolerance of the age. The good pre¬ 
late was induced to hope for a successful issue to his 
attempt, from the arrival of the relics of the martyr 
Stephen, which were brought thither by Orosius the cele¬ 
brated historian ; and also from a vision enjoyed by a widow 
who implored him to sow her field. He interpreted this 
request to mean that the synagogue, at present widowed or 
estranged from God, desired instruction in the principles of 
the Gospel. He therefore marched at the head of his flock 
to Magona, where he challenged the Jews, with their leader 
Theodorus, a man distinguished for his rabbinical learning, 
to debate with him the points at issue between the two 
religions. He named the church as the place of conference ; 
but his opponents declined to meet him there, alleging, as 
their reason, that it was the Sabbath, and that they would 
be defiled by entering a Christian place of worship. The 
bishop next proposed the synagogue as the arena of debate ; 
but they refused this request also, probably apprehensive 
that their sanctuary would be defiled by the presence of the 
Nazarene multitude. Severus next expostulated with them 
for having arms stored up in their house of prayer. They 
denied the truth of the charge ; but the bishop, insisting 
upon ocular evidence of their innocence, set forward with 
his people to satisfy his curiosity, upon which some Jewish 
women began to throw stones at them from the windows. 
This occasioned a quarrel ; and the Christians, probably 
much superior in numbers, made themselves masters of the 
synagogue, and destroyed it, preserving only the books of 
the law and the utensils of silver. The former they carried 
in triumph to the church, the latter they restored to the 
rightful owners ; but no mention is made of any arms having 
been found. Three days after, the Jews assembled amidst 
the ruins of their edifice, and the others also flocked thither. 
Theodorus made an eloquent speech in defence of his creed, 

10 


no 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


which Severus admits he was not very well prepared to 
answer ; but an accident discomfited his antagonists. Some 
Christians, anxious to win over so formidable an opponent, 
cried out, “ Theodorus, believe in Christ.” The Jews 
mistook the words, thinking that they were “Theodorus 
believes in Christ ;” and being panic-struck by this unex¬ 
pected announcement, they dispersed on all sides. Their 
champion being left alone, was plied with various arguments 
by Reuben, a converted Jew ; who, among other means of 
persuasion, offered him honors and emoluments as the re¬ 
wards of his embracing the true faith. He complied with 
these solicitations, and his example was imitated by many 
of his followers; but others left the island rather than re¬ 
nounce their religion. Such is the narrative of Severus, 
who adds that various miracles attended this remarkable 
conversion. Some embellishments, however, may be sus¬ 
pected in the whole story, which merits insertion chiefly as 
an illustration of the manners and sentiments of the fifth 
century.” * * 

Making allowances for some occasional outbursts of 
intolerance, we may subscribe to the statement which M. 
Depping gives of the condition of the Jews at the extinction 
of the Western Empire. He says, “ The Hebrew nation 
found itself in a sufficiently advantageous position. Their 
worship was respected; in every thing which related to 
religion they enjoyed entire liberty ; they observed their 
national customs, and had judges of their own community, 
whose jurisdiction extended to all matters, except those of 
life and death ; and it appears that even these were often 
decided by the Jews, with the connivance of the imperial 
tribunals. They were in general placed on a level with the 
other subjects of the empire, being excluded only from the 
highest dignities of the state, and from military service. 
Besides the profession of the law, they might devote them¬ 
selves to the pursuits of commerce, industry, and letters ; 
and, if we may judge from the complaints of the Christian 

— y -———-■ 


* Basnage, book vi. chap. xvi. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS 


111 


contemporary writers, they displayed in their employments 
that ardor which has always characterized them.” * 

In the meanwhile, they had on various occasions been 
exposed to suffering in the East, sometimes provoking per¬ 
secution by their imprudence or fanaticism, at other times 
the innocent victims of their enemies’ hatred. About the 
beginning of the fifth century they excited the attention of 
Theodosius the Second, by the manner in which they cele¬ 
brated the Feast of Purim, in commemoration of their 
deliverance from the malice of Hainan. They were accus¬ 
tomed to erect a gibbet, on which a figure representing their 
ancient foe was suspended, and treated with every imagina¬ 
ble mark of indignity. Sometimes the gibbet was in the 
form of a cross, which, with the effigy, was committed to 
the flames ; and, at the same time, curses were uttered 
against the name of Christ. Such practices could not fail 
to irritate believers in the Gospel, and, as disturbances oc¬ 
curred in various places, Theodosius prohibited the festival 
which was the occasion of them. Subsequently similar 
tumults broke out in Macedonia, Dacia, and Illyricum, in 
which the Jews insulted their Christian neighbors ; and the 
latter retaliated by destroying the houses and synagogues 
of their adversaries, and even putting some of them to 
death. The emperor issued orders to the governor of the 
province to see that strict justice were done, and that all 
breakers of the law should be adequately punished. A few 
years later, some drunken Jews, in the town of Inmestar, 
near Antioch, erected a cross, and fastened a Christian 
child to it, whom they scourged to death. This horrible 
crime provoked the inhabitants to flee to arms, and a despe¬ 
rate conflict ensued ; but at length the tumult was quelled 
by the interposition of the imperial authority, and the 
summary punishment of the offenders. Some time after, 
several individuals of Antioch, instigated by their clergy, 
plundered a synagogue, and impiously dedicated the booty 
to the service of the church. The Roman governor took 


* Les Jaifs dans le Moyen Age, Paris, 1834, pp. 17, 18. 



112 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


the part of the Jews, and by his representations induced 
the emperor to order the restitution of the property. But 
the far-famed Simeon Stylite3 interposed as effectually as 
Ambrose had done in the case of Callinicum, and screened 
the offenders from the punishment due to their intolerance. 
If the great Theodosius yielded to the unjust request of 
the Archbishop of Milan, some excuse may be found in the 
undeniable excellence of Ambrose’s character, which had 
procured for him the esteem and reverence of the whole 
western world ; but what palliation can we imagine for the 
Weakness of his grandson in listening to the counsels of a 
fanatical monk, whose sole claim to respect was derived 
from his choosing to perch himself upon the top of a column 
sixty feet high? 

About the same time the city of Alexandria was the 
scene of a sanguinary conflict between the Jews and Chris¬ 
tians ; the former amounting in number to about forty 
thousand, and many of them being remarkable for wealth. 
The more irreligious of the body used to attend the theatre 
on the Sabbath, instead of repairing to the synagogues; 
and one day a person, named Hierax, entered to read a 
proclamation recently issued by the governor of the city 
against the tumults which frequently occurred. . The He¬ 
brews cried out that this individual had come for the purpose 
of exciting a disturbance ; and it is probable that he was 
well known as a person of turbulent character, for Orestes 
ordered him to be immediately scourged, without any form 
of trial. The sufferer was a partisan of Cyril, the archbish¬ 
op of Alexandria,who regarded his punishment as an insult to 
himself. Being of a fierce and haughty temper, he resolved 
to interfere in a matter in which he had no concern, and 
sent for some of the principal Israelites, whom he threaten¬ 
ed with his resentment if they did not cause all tumults 
against his people to cease. Instead of complying with 
such demands, they determined to attack their adversaries ; 
and raising a cry at midnight that the great church was on 
fire, they attacked the Christians as they poured out of their 
houses unarmed, eager to rescue the sacred edifice from 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


113 


destruction. The assailants, who had put on rings of palm 
bark to distinguish one another in the darkness, slew many 
of them; but at daybreak the archbishop put himself at the 
head of a large body of the inhabitants, attacked the enemy, 
killed a number, and expelled the rest from the city. He 
appropriated their synagogues to the church, and gave up 
their houses to be plundered by his followers. 

It could not be expected that the governor would allow 
his authority to be thus encroached upon by a turbulent 
ecclesiastic. He sent a statement of the affair to the em¬ 
peror, complaining bitterly of the interference of Cyril ; but 
the archbishop sent a counter representation, in which all 
the blame was thrown upon the Jews. The people pressed 
him to be reconciled to Orestes, and he made an attempt, but 
unsuccessfully; upon which he called the monks of Nitria, 
a fanatical band of savages, to his assistance. Arriving to 
the number of fifteen hundred, they assaulted the prefect in 
the street, and loaded him with insults and reproaches, 
calling him an idolator, who merely made a hypocritical 
profession of the true faith. He in vain assured them that 
he had received baptism at Constantinople ; for amidst his 
protestations, one of the rioters, named Ammonius, struck 
him on the head with a large stone, and covered him with 
blood. His guards fled on all sides, afraid of being over¬ 
whelmed by numbers ; and he might have been torn in 
pieces by the seditious monks, if the inhabitants of Alexan¬ 
dria, ashamed to see their governor in such a situation, had 
not interposed to rescue him. The fanatics were driven . 
back to their mountains, and Ammonius was executed ; but 
Cyril having caused his body to be taken up, and trans¬ 
ported in solemn procession to the cathedral, panegyrized 
him from the pulpit as a martyr, who had fallen in the ser¬ 
vice of the church. Through bribery or bigotry, the imperial 
court took no notice of the seditious conduct of the arch¬ 
bishop; and it does not appear that the members of the 
synagogue obtained the restoration of their property.* 


* Basnage, book vi. chap. xv. Gibbon, chap, xlviii, 
10 * 




114 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


About twenty years after these tumults at Alexandria, an 
impostor, who was named Moses, appeared among the Jews 
in Crete, and travelling a whole year through the island, 
persuaded many of the deluded Israelites to follow him as 
their leader. He led them to the top of a promontory, and 
ordered them to cast themselves down into the sea, as¬ 
suring them that the water would become dry land before 
them, and open up a safe and easy passage to the promised 
land. A number of them, who were fanatical enough to 
obey his absurd injunction, were dashed to pieces against 
the rocks, or drowned in the waves. Many more would 
have shared the same fate, had not the crew's of some fishing 
boats, which were on the spot, held up the bodies of the 
dead persons to convince them of the imposture. They 
were at last persuaded of the knavery, and wished to 
revenge themselves upon their deceiver, but he had in the 
meantime made his escape. Not a few of them, won over 
by the kindness of the Christian seamen, embraced the true 
faith. 

About the same time, the patriachate of Tiberias expired 
in the person of Gamaliel ; who was either deprived by 
Theodosius* of the honorary title of prefect, given him by 
former sovereigns ; or, as some think, obliged to relinquish 
even the appellation of patriarch itself. If he retained the 
latter, he left no successor to whom he might transmit it; 
and thus the office ended, after a continuance of nearly three 
centuries. 


* The ground of this imperial edict was the connivance of the patriarch 
at the erection of new synagogues, in opposition to the law of the empire. 



115 


CHAPTER X. 

Wise Policy of the Ostrogothic Kings of Italy—Persecuting Edicts of 
Justinian—Dissension between the Rabbis and the People—Simeon of 
Emesa—The internal Slave-trade of Europe in the hands of the Jews— 
Conduct of Gregory the Great towards them—Rebellion of Meir against 
the Persian King, and consequent Persecution of the Babylonian Jews 
—Embassy of the Jews of Palestine to Nushirwan—Taking of Jerusa¬ 
lem by Chosroes II., and Massacre of the Christian Inhabitants by the 
Jews—Recovery of the City by Heraclius.—From A D. 530 to A. 
D. 610. 


On the extinction of the Western Empire, Odoacer, a for¬ 
tunate general in the service of Rome, assumed the title 
of King^ of Italy. After a reign of fourteen years, being 
defeated by Theodoric, ruler of the Ostrogoths, he was put 
to death by order of the conqueror, who founded a dynasty 
of Gothic sovereigns in Italy. He divided a third part of 
the country among his victorious soldiers, but ever after¬ 
wards administered the law with strict impartiality; striving 
by his wisdom and justice to make his subjects forget that 
they were ruled by a barbarian. During his reign, Italy 
enjoyed a peace and prosperity to which it had been a 
stranger in the declining years of the empire. He was an 
Arian, but he tolerated the orthodox faith, and the Jews 
shared the blessings of his wise administration. He told 
them, indeed, that they seemed far more anxious for tempo¬ 
ral prosperity than for eternal happiness ; but he judiciously 
endeavored, by his impartial government, to assist them in 
acquiring the former ; and did not, like many bigoted princes 
before and since, attempt by persecution to force them to 
embrace that creed, which he believed to be the only means 
of obtaining the latter. He repressed the forward zeal of 
the Christians at Rome, Milan, and Genoa, where the syna¬ 
gogues had been plundered or burnt; and commanded resti¬ 
tution to be made to the sufferers. His prudent maxims 


116 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


were probably adopted by his successors ; for we find that 
when Belisarius, the general of the Emperor Justinian, 
invaded Italy, the Jewish merchants of Naples stirred up 
the inhabitants to make a desperate resistance to the Roman 
army. The siege lasted twenty days ; and the Israelites, 
who defended the quarter next the sea, fought with distin¬ 
guished bravery. But a secret passage into the city being 
pointed out to the imperial commander, a chosen body of his 
troops made good their entrance at the dead of night. He 
is said, by some authors, to have given strict orders that the 
lives of the people should be spared ; but other writers 
affirm that a general massacre took place, without regard to 
age or sex ; and, if these accounts be correct, we may be 
sure that especial cruelty would be shown towards the Jews, 
as the authors of that resistance which had detained the 
invaders so long under the walls. Though Belisarius was 
recalled before he had completed the conquest of Italy, he 
obtained an able successor in Narses, who destroyed the 
Ostrogothic kingdom in 553, twenty-seven years after the 
death of Theodoric, its founder. 

The Neapolitan Jews had too good reason to make a 
fierce resistance to the Roman arms, for the condition of 
their brethren in the Eastern Empire had become very unfa¬ 
vorable. Justin the elder issued a decree which prohibited 
all unbelievers, whether Heathen, Jews, or Samaritans, 
from exercising the functions of the magistracy; alleging as 
a reason, that it was indecorous to allow such persons to 
pass sentence upon Christians, lay or clerical. The Samar¬ 
itans had in some measure provoked this severity by more 
than one instance of sedition, of which the inhabitants of 
their chief city, Sichem, had been guilty ; but neither the 
Heathens nor the Jews appear to have in any respect for¬ 
feited the character of loyal and peaceable subjects. The 
edict of Justin was far surpassed in severity, by the various 
ordinances issued by his nephew. Justinian, who had paid 
considerable attention to the study of theology, was desirous 
to bring the whole empire into conformity with his religious 
opinions. “ He was, in effect, the pope as well as the em- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


117 


peror of the Roman world.” * But unhappily the means 
which he adopted to secure the prevalence of orthodox 
opinions, were often of the most questionable kind. He 
endeavored to coerce his subjects into the true faith ; he 
hunted out those who still, with more or less secresy, 
adhered to Paganism, forcing them to receive baptism ; and 
seventy thousand are said to have been thus obliged to pro¬ 
fess Christianity in Asia Minor. He constrained the heretics 
to embrace orthodoxy, or leave the imperial dominions ; and 
an obstinate congregation of Montanists were burnt in their 
conventicle, whither they had retired for protection. But 
the most refined and systematic persecution was directed 
against the Jews and Samaritans. The latter people were 
goaded by the oppression they sustained into a desperate 
rebellion, in which they were headed by an individual, 
named Julian, who appears to have been a false Messiah. 
They ravaged the country with fire and sword, destroyed 
the churches, and murdered or shamefully insulted the 
clergy. A regular force being sent against them, they were 
routed in a well-contested engagement, their leader slain, 
and themselves massacred or sold as slaves. A hundred 
thousand persons are said to have perished in this revolt; 
and such of them as survived and escaped slavery, chose to 
make a profession of the Gospel, rather than have their 
property confiscated. They still, however, continued in 
secret to practice their ancient faith ; but this dissimulation 
transpiring, was forbidden by a proclamation of Justin the 
younger, who had now ascended the throne. 

As the Jews are the more immediate subjects of this 
historv, the enactments of Justinian with respect to them 
require a more explicit mention. He sent oideis to the 
governor of Africa to prohibit the performance of their 
worship, and to apply the synagogues to the service of the 
church. The most remarkable consequence of this edict 
was the conversion of the Jews at Borium, a strong city on 
the frontiers of the Pentapolis, where there was a splendid 


* Milner’s History of the Church, cent, vi chap. iii. 





118 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


temple or synagogue, said to have been built in King Solo¬ 
mon’s time. This ancient edifice was now converted into a 
church. 

The ordinance just mentioned appears to have related 
only to Africa ; but in other parts of the empire the Israelites 
were subjected to many oppressive enactments. They 
were forbidden to celebrate the Passover on any other day 
than that on which the Christians observed Easter. It ap¬ 
pears that the calculations of the two religious communities 
differed, and consequently their festivals were seldom held 
in the same week. They were also forbidden, under severe 
penalties, to eat the paschal lamb ; but this was a piece of 
ignorant malice, for the custom had been generally aban¬ 
doned since the destruction of Jerusalem. There were 
other decrees more arbitrary than even these. Justinian 
forbad the admission of their evidence in lawsuits between 
Christians and Jews, or between Christians themselves ; 
their testimony was only received when both plaintiff and 
defendant were Israelites. He further enacted, that when 
the parents differed in creed, the chief authority should 
remain with the one who professed the true faith ; so that, 
if the mother was a believer, she was intrusted with the 
education of the children. They were prohibited from dis¬ 
inheriting, or refusing maintenance to those of their offspring 
who should embrace the Gospel ; and were even obliged to 
portion their daughters according to the good pleasure of 
the prefect or the bishop, who were thus selected as guar¬ 
dians to the proselytes. The children were to be entitled 
to whatever portion of the inheritance would have been 
awarded to them if their parents had died intestate, and 
all wills which obstructed this enactment were abrogated. 
Even gross acts of filial delinquency did not preclude the 
pecuniary benefits of conversion ; for, though the young 
persons might be punished for their disobedience, they were 
still entitled to a fourth part of the property.* 

In the same reign, a dispute arose between the rabbis 


* Basnage, book vi. chap. xxi. Depping, pp. 19, 20. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


119 


and a considerable portion of their followers. The former 
wished to retain the Hebrew language in the reading of the 
Law, as well as the expositions made in the synagogue. 
The latter, who had been gradually losing their knowledge 
of the original language of the Old Testament, desired 
that Greek translations might be used in their places of 
worship. The rabbis endeavored, by argument and menace, 
to prevail on the refractory people to desist from their 
demands, but in vain ; and at length the matter came before 
the emperor by appeal. He decreed, that those who pre¬ 
ferred a Greek version should be indulged in their wishes ; 
and recommended that the Septuagint translation should be 
adopted, though he did not interdict the reading of any 
other. He strictly prohibited the use of the Mishna in 
public worship, characterizing it as a worthless incentive to 
superstition. He further forbade the teachers, on the pain 
of corporal punishment and confiscation of property, to 
throw any obstacles in the way of those who preferred the 
Greek to the Hebrew tongue He concluded his edict by 
enjoining the careful reading of the Scriptures, as a means 
of improvement in moral and religious knowledge. 

Justinian doubtless expected that his decrees would have 
the effect of converting many to the Christian faith ; but 
their oppressive nature, and the insulting language in which 
they were couched, unquestionably tended to irritate the 
feelings of those against whom they were directed, and 
prevented them from thinking well of a religion whose 
professors thus exhibited themselves in the light of perse¬ 
cutors. The superstitious habits of the age induced men 
to receive with implicit belief the tales of prodigies, which 
were wrought for the conversion of the Jews, and are said 
to have powerfully co-operated with the imperial edicts. 
Absurd as these stories are, we may insert one as charac¬ 
teristic of the feelings of the times. There was a person 
named Simeon at Emesa, who was regarded as a saint, 
although he exhibited very decided marks of insanity. His 
favorite employment was running up and down the streets, 
lashing the pillars, saying, “ this is for dancing,” because 


120 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


there had lately been an earthquake in that part of the 
country. This eccentric personage one day watched a 
Jewish glass-blower working at the furnace. The man 
attempted to make a glass, but the material formed itself 
into the shape of a cross, which instantly broke in pieces. 
Seven times he repeated the experiment, and seven times 
he made crosses as brittle as before. Simeon told him that 
he never would succeed in the attempt until he had made 
the sign of the cross.* The Jew, afraid that he would starve 
unless he complied with the injunction, made the required 
sign, and immediately recovered his former skill in his art. 
He continued in the profession of a religion so powerfully 
recommended to him ! 

Yet it would be unjust to suppose that more legitimate 
means of conversion were not used towards the Jews. Even 
amidst the gross superstition which was gradually over¬ 
spreading Christendom, there were still many noble exam¬ 
ples of genuine piety and zeal; and it cannot be doubted 
that, wherever these existed, there w r ould be an earnest 
desire to bring over God’s ancient people to the true faith, 
by the appointed means of preaching and prayer. The doc¬ 
trine, no doubt, had by this time become debased by super¬ 
stitious additions, and the practice had been still more 
alarmingly perverted ; but the grosser delusions of popery 
were yet unknown, and formality was not in the sixth cen¬ 
tury by any means universally substituted for heartfelt 
devotion. Among the bishops of the smaller sees, the 
inferior clergy, and the middle and lower classes of the 
laity, there unquestionably still remained many persons who 
held fast the essential truths of the Gospel, and evinced their 
right appreciation of them by lives of consistent godliness ; 
thus, so far as in them lay, counteracting the evil effects too 
likely to flow from the secularly of the more wealthy eccle¬ 
siastics, and the irreligion of the nobles. We may surely 
hope, that as, even in the darkest ages of the Church, the 
Lord Jesus still had his humble and holy followers, so their 


* Basnage, book vi. chap. xxi. p. 577. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


121 


pious precepts and corresponding lives may have been from 
time to time blessed as the means of converting to the true 
faith some of the despised outcasts of Israel. 

Among the few truly devout men who, during this period, 
filled the great sees of the empire, none was in every respect 
so remarkable as Gregory of Rome, the first and best of his 
name. Gibbon, no friend to religion or its ministers, is com¬ 
pelled to confess, that this bishop, from the wisdom and 
equity of his rule, “ might justly be styled the father of his 
country. 55 The protection which he showed to others he 
wished to extend to the Israelites, whom too many, who 
“ professed and called themselves Christians, 55 deemed it 
meritorious to persecute by every means in their power. As 
an instance of his desire to act impartially between Jews and 
believers, we may mention the following incident. A newly 
converted Hebrew, who seems to have embraced more of 
the form than the substance of evangelical truth, put himself 
at the head of a band of zealots, and on Easter-day forced 
his way into the synagogue, where he set up a cross and an 
image of the Virgin Mary. The magistrates of the town 
condemned this violence, and the bishop, to whom the youth 
applied for countenance, refused to grant it. Gregory com¬ 
mended the just discernment of the prelate, and enjoined 
him to rebuke the officious convert without paying any re¬ 
gard to the excuse of zeal which he might offer. He like¬ 
wise ordered that the cross and image should be removed, 
and the Jews left to the peaceful exercise of their own 
worship. 

At this time the internal slave-trade of Europe—a horrid 
traffic which had been much increased by the interruptions 
of the barbarians—was chiefly in the hands of the Jews. 
We may easily conceive that this merchandise would prove 
a source of savage satisfaction to their revengeful spirits, as 
giving them in some measure a triumph over those who had 
so often insulted and oppressed them. The vicissitudes of 
the times might throw into their hands the nearest relatives 
of the proud prelate or haughty noble, who had in former 
days of prosperity regarded them with looks of scorn, or 
11 


122 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


assailed them with words of bitter reproach. He would feel 
a malicious pleasure in returning gibe for gibe, or repaying 
blow for blow ; as in reminding his wretched victims that, if 
he treated them well, it was from no good will or reverence 
for their creed, but solely that they might bring a higher 
price at the slave-market. It may be as readily believed, 
that the Church would look with abhorrence on this com¬ 
merce, which so often threw its members into the power of 
the unbelievers. Council after council exclaimed against it, 
or endeavored to mitigate the harshness of the treatment 
which its unfortunate victims received from the^r masters ; 
who sometimes refused fair prices in order to retain them in 
bondage, and at other times attempted, by various means, to 
induce them to renounce the faith of Christ. Gregory 
exerted all his influence to suppress the trade, and to protect 
Christian slaves against their proprietors. To effect the 
former purpose, he wrote to Thierry and Theodebert, kings 
of the Franks, and to Queen Brunehart, impressing upon 
them the necessity of putting down a system wL.ch gave 
such scandal to the Church. To accomplish the latter 
design, he recommended the application of certain funds to 
the purpose of redeeming such slaves as wished to embrace 
the Gospel *, and, considering the serfs of Jewish agricultu¬ 
ralists as bound to the soil, he ordained that those masters, 
who abused their right by seeking to transport them to 
another part of the country, should forfeit all property in the 
unfortunate individuals thus oppressed. Learning that the 
Samaritan merchants at Catana in Sicily were accustomed 
to purchase heathen slaves for the purpose of bringing them 
up in their religion, he wrote to Leo, the bishop of that 
city, to investigate this affair with the utmost strictness ; 
and, if he should find that the circumstances of the case 
were such as they were reported, to take the unhappy 
victims under the protection of the Church, without giving 
the masters any compensation. The laws of the empire 
inflicted the punishment of death and confiscation of goods 
upon masters who circumcised their bondmen ; and Gregory 
instructed the Bishop of Catana to enforce the execution of 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


123 


this severe enactment. It is impossible to justify the cruelty 
of this law, or the attempt to carry it into effect ; but some 
excuse may be found for the distinguished prelate in the 
imperfect views of toleration to which even the wisest and 
best men of that age had attained. He sought to gain the 
Jews into the Church by milder, though perhaps equally 
questionable methods. In one of his letters to his receiver 
of taxes in Sicily, he ordered him to remit a third or a fourth 
of the regular imposts to those of that religion who should 
embrace the true faith. He acknowledged that persons 
who should be induced to renounce their religion by such 
means might not prove very good Christians ; but he added 
that, even if they did not, their sons at least would be 
properly brought up, and thus the one or the other would be 
gained. It is strange that the good bishop did not see, 
that if the fathers proved venal hypocrites, their children 
were not likely to imbibe favorable sentiments of a religion 
which they saw professed but not believed. Indeed, the 
whole transaction too closely resembles the subsequent 
proceedings of that apostate Church, which is disposed to 
claim Gregory as one of her brightest ornaments ; and which 
has never scrupled to swell the numbers of her proselytes 
by the use of the most deceitful as well as the most san¬ 
guinary means.* 

But if the Bishop of Rome on this occasion forgot that 
the Gospel condemned all doing of evil that good might 
come, he showed himself at other times well aware of the 
only kind of attempts at conversion on which it can be ex¬ 
pected that the blessing of God will rest. Peter, bishop of 
Tarragona, had countenanced the zealots of his diocese in 
their annoyance of the Jews, who had been driven from 
their synagogue while celebrating one of their festivals. 
Gregory wrote to him, strongly condemning this conduct; 
and reminding him, that the preaching of the Gospel was 
the true method to bring the deluded Israelites to a sense of 


* Basnage, book vi. chap. xxi. pp. 579,580. Depping, p. 21—24. Beug- 
not. Les Juifs d’Occident. 1824, prem. part, pp. 148, 149. 



124 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


the error of their ways. In the same spirit he addressed a 
letter to the Bishop of Marseilles, of which the following is 
an extract: — “ If a Jew is brought to the baptismal font by 
compulsion, not by the sweetness of the word, returning to 
his former superstition, he dies in a worse state than that 
from which he seemed to be converted. Preach frequently 
to the Jews, that they may desire to be changed through 
the love of what they hear. Thus your desire of saving 
souls will be accomplished, and the convert will not return 
like the dog to his vomit. Preach, that their dark minds 
may be enlightened, and that under God they may be 
brought to real regeneration. 5 ’* It is to be hoped that this 
sound advice was not thrown away, and that the Holy Spirit 
vouchsafed a blessing on the preaching of the word to many 
of the unhappy descendants of Abraham. 

In the mean time, the Jews in the Persian dominions had 
been subjected to more than one persecution. Nor did ex¬ 
ternal oppression secure internal unanimity ; for a feud 
broke out between Huna, the Resch-Glutha, or Prince of 
the Captivity, and Chanina, the chief master of the schools, 
being their temporal and spiritual heads. The former, who 
had married a daughter of the latter, attempted to encroach 
upon the privileges of his father-in-law, by interpreting the 
Talmud in his presence. The other resisted this intrusion 
into the rabbinical office ; upon which his unnatural rela¬ 
tive ordered his servants to pluck out his beard, and then 
cast him forth. All the inhabitants of the city being forbid¬ 
den to supply him with food or shelter, the unhappy rabbi 
sat down and wept bitterly. But his misfortunes were not 
unavenged, for a pestilence broke out in the prince’s family, 
and destroyed every member of it. The royal line would 
have been extinguished, had not Chanina’s daughter, the 
widow of the prince, been with child. A vision which 
appeared to the rabbi, terrified him at the thought of the 
desolation which he had brought upon the house of David, 
and disposed him to watch with the utmost anxiety until his 


* Milner’s History of the Church, cent. vi. chap. v. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


125 


daughter was safely delivered of a son. He took the ut¬ 
most care of the education of the infant, whom he named 
Zutra. Meanwhile, a person called Paphra, bought the 
dignity of prince, and enjoyed it till the rightful heir had 
reached his sixteenth year; when the latter applied to 
Kobad or Cabades, the ruler of Persia, for the possession of 
a dignity which was his by birth. The king complied with 
his request, and degraded Paphra ; who is said to have soon 
after died from the effects of a violent fit of sneezing, 
brought on by a fly entering his nose, and universally re¬ 
garded as a punishment for his simoniacal usurpation of an 
office to which he had no title. Zutra, after reigning twen¬ 
ty years, was involved in the calamities which an impostor, 
named Meir, brought upon the community of Babylonian 
Jews. This enthusiast, pretending that he had seen the 
pillar of fire which had appeared by night to the Israelites 
in the wilderness, conceived that the re-appearance of this 
mark o»f divine favor authorized him to go forth as a leader 
of the chosen people. Having collected a band of four hun¬ 
dred men, he rebelled against the Persian monarch ; but 
that prince having put down the insurgents, slew their 
leader, and hanged both Zutra and his grandfather Chanina, 
suspecting them of a secret participation in this fanatical 
attempt. Many of the Mesopotamian Jews fled from their 
native land ; and it is supposed that some of them even 
wandered as far as the coast of Malabar, where their de¬ 
scendants exist at this day. The son of the murdered 
prince, who bore the same name, escaped to Palestine, 
where he became the president of the Sanhedrim. A ridic¬ 
ulous story is told of Cabades by some monkish historians, 
who allege that he besieged a castle full of immense riches, 
but guarded by devils. Having in vain tried all the usual 
methods of taking this fortress, he summoned before him 
some votaries of all the various religions which prevailed in 
his dominions, in order to see whether, by their sacred rites, 
they could not effect what he had fruitlessly attempted by 
the resources of the military art. The Magians, the Mani- 
chees, the Jews, successively failed in the endeavor to dis- 
11 * 


126 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


lodge the demons; but the Christians dispossessed them by 
using the sign of the cross. The king, it is added, overjoyed 
at obtaining the valuable spoils, conferred several privileges 
on the successful communion, and favored their bishop with 
many marks of his esteem. More authentic history informs 
us, that Cabades* persecuted the Christians as well as the 
Jews.* 

Shortly after the murder of Zutra and Chanina, the Per¬ 
sian monarch died, and was succeeded by his son Chosroes, 
or Nushirwan During his long reign of forty-eight years, 
the Jews enjoyed very little prosperity. Their academies 
were shut by his orders, and a check was thus given to the 
progress of rabbinical learning. Yet such was the discon¬ 
tent excited among the inhabitants of Palestine by the arbi¬ 
trary decrees of Justinian, that it is said they sent deputies 
to the court of Chosroes, who influenced that prince to 
break off a negotiation with the Romans, and make prepara¬ 
tions for a war with the empire. These ambassadors of¬ 
fered to assist the Persian with fifty thousand men, if he 
would invade the Syrian territory ; and excited his avarice 
by the glowing description which they gave of the immense 
riches of Jerusalem. On their return they deservedly met 
the death of traitors. Chosroes was never able to reach 
the Holy City, for his progress was checked by the military 
skill of Belisarius, who was recalled from Italy to the de¬ 
fence of the East ; and the Jews were thus disappointed in 
their hopes of being delivered from the galling yoke of 
Rome. He was succeeded by his son Hormisdas, who was 
a weak and vicious prince, in every respect the reverse of 
his father ; but he allowed the Hebrews to re-open their 
academies, and a new order of rabbis, called the Gaonim, 
or Illustrious, began to flourish. After a disgraceful reign 
of eleven years, he was dethroned and murdered ; and Bah¬ 
rain, or Varanes, a distinguished general, ascended the 
throne in defiance of the rights of Chosroes, the son of the 
late king. The Jews espoused the cause of the usurper, 


* Basnage, book vi. chap, xviii. pp. 564, 565. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


127 


and, in consequence, felt the vengeance of the legitimate 
sovereign ; who, assisted with a Roman army by the empe¬ 
ror Maurice, defeated Bahram, and forced him to flee into 
Tartary. There was a town called Antioch, built by Chos- 
roes the First, in imitation of the Syrian city of that name ; 
and peopled with its inhabitants, whom the Persian prince 
had made prisoners during his invasion. This Antioch was 
taken by Mabodes, the general of Chosroes, and the Jews 
were massacred or enslaved. 

The emperor Maurice, with his whole family, was mur¬ 
dered by Phocas ; who, assuming the purple, sent to inform 
Chosroes of his accession. Whether influenced by ambi¬ 
tion, or by real detestation of his crimes, the Persian sove¬ 
reign refused his alliance, and attacked the Roman territo¬ 
ries, alleging that he sought to avenge the death of Maurice 
on the usurper. To give the better color to his proceedings, 
he carried about with him an impostor, who pretended to be 
a son of the late emperor, affirming that he had found 
means to elude the vigilance of the assassins. The Jews of 
Palestine were prepared to welcome the advance of Chos¬ 
roes, for the persecutions of Phocas had provoked them to 
a rebellion, which was suppressed in a most sanguinary 
manner. Accordingly, when a detachment of the Persian 
army, under the command of Carusia, crossed their border, 
it was joined by them in great numbers. Some accounts 
swell their force to twenty-six thousand men. Galilee and 
the region beyond the Jordan were subdued by the invaders, 
who next pressed on to the attack of Jerusalem. The city 
being taken by assault, was given up to plunder ; and the 
churches, which were very rich, containing, as was said, 
“ the devout offerings of three hundred years, were rifled in 
one sacrilegious day. 55 The Jews had now an opportunity 
of visiting that Holy City, which for so long a time they 
were unable to enter except by stealth, and at the hazard of 
their lives. While their allies were engaged in plunder, 
they were employed in butchering the Christian inhabitants, 
whom they regarded as unhallowed intruders into a place 
once consecrated by the especial presence of Jehovah. It 


128 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


is affirmed that no fewer than ninety thousand were massa¬ 
cred on this occasion. Perhaps in the intoxication of 
triumph, the Jews might imagine that they would enjoy a 
long season of prosperity under the sway of the Persian 
king, and even dream that the temple, which they had un¬ 
successfully attempted to build in the time of Julian, would 
be reared in its ancient glory under the happier auspices of 
Chosroes. If such visionary hopes were in any degree 
entertained, they were speedily disappointed. Palestine, 
Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor, no doubt, successively fell 
into the hands of the conqueror, who, for a short period, 
possessed an empire as extensive as had ever been subject to 
any of his predecessors. He even advanced to the Thracian 
Bosphorus, and encamped in sight of Constantinople ; when 
Heraclius, who had slain and succeeded the tyrant Phocas, 
humbly sued for peace. The haughty victor replied, that 
he would never grant his request till he abjured his crucified 
God, and consented to adore the sun. Finding it, however, 
impossible to reduce Constantinople, he at last agreed 
to conclude a treaty with the emperor, exacting a tribute of 
the most oppressive kind. The latter had hitherto displayed 
a character remarkable chiefly for voluptuousness ; but the 
danger and disgrace to which the progress of the Persian 
arms had exposed him, roused him from his lethargy, and 
he broke through the dishonorable treaty which his distress 
had extorted from him. Chosroes had impiously defied the 
Majesty of Heaven ; and He, who had miraculously de¬ 
stroyed the host of Sennacherib, now providentially inter¬ 
posed to arrest the progress of one whom success had ren¬ 
dered as arrogant as the Assyrian monarch. By the military 
skill of Heraclius, and the disciplined valor of his troops, 
the lost provinces were recovered ; and the Christian inhab¬ 
itants, whom the invader had persecuted, gladly returned 
under the sway of a sovereign of their own religion. The 
war was even carried into the heart of Persia ; and as 
Chosroes obstinately refused to listen to offers of peace, he 
was murdered by one of his sons, who ascended the throne, 
and immediately entered into a treaty with the Romans. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


129 


The emperor returned in triumph to Constantinople ; and 
in the course of the following year made a pilgrimage to 
Jerusalem, where he rebuilt the Christian churches, and 
restored them to their former splendor. The sanguinary 
fanaticism of the Jews might have excused a more severe 
punishment than that which Heraclius inflicted, who, re¬ 
enacting the edict of Adrian, again excluded them from that 
much-lovod city which they had revisited for so short a 
period. 


CHAPTER XI. 


Jewish Kingdom in Arabia Felix—Wars of Mohammed against the Jewish 
Tribes—Subjugation of Palestine, and Conquest of Jerusalem by Omar 
—Downfall of the Persian Kingdom—Severe Persecutions of the Jews 
in Spain—Isidore of Seville—Various Councils of Toledo—Treatment 
of the Jews in France—Avitus of Clermont—Chilperic and Priscus.— 
From A. D. 610 to A. D. 710. 

While the Romans and Persians were thus contending for 
the mastery of the world, that people, whom they both per¬ 
haps equally despised, if they did not always equally op¬ 
press, maintained possession of an obscure but fertile region, 
remote from the scene of conflict. It is not, indeed, very 
distinctly known from what quarter those Jews came who 
settled in Arabia Felix. How they may have arrived there, 
w hether by extremely tedious journeys through the exten¬ 
sive deserts—the grave of many armies and caravans—or 
from Persia, through the gulf by water ; or from Egypt, 
across Abyssinia ; or through the Red Sea, is an enigma, 
the entire solution of w'hich would set in a clearer light the 
Anti-Christian history of the Asiatic revolutions—the un- 


* Basnage, book vi. chap, xviii. p. 565. Gibbon, chap. xlvi. 




130 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


dertaking of which, however, would be almost a hopeless 
task. 

The Arabian authors, our guides through this labyrinth, 
are themselves ignorant of the path and its windings,* and 
so confess themselves. Former travellers, from other 
countries, have, although furnished with a superior knowl¬ 
edge of antiquity, either had not opportunity or desire to 
investigate the more ancient history of the Jews in this 
region. Nothing is left to us but the pedigree—the favorite 
object of Oriental Historiography—and from it we must 
borrow what may be relied upon with a tolerable degree of 
confidence. 

According to a list of the Arabian kings, there are several 
who professed to follow the Jewish religion—a fact which 
has never been subjected to a doubt, although not developed 
at the precise time ; since the Arabians themselves do not 
agree in the number and names of their Anti-Mahometan 
rulers. When now a novel phenomenon is exhibited here, 
—Judaism not only extended into so distant a country, but 
also professed by royalty,—then the astonishment increases. 
Yet it diminishes as soon as we become acquainted with the 
structure of their minds, through the medium of which all 
religions in that country had the same privileges ; so that 
the spectacle of a Jewish king governing part of Arabia, 
does by no means warrant the conclusion that an important 
struggle must have preceded and caused the ascendancy of 
the Jews. Still we shall follow the probable course of 
things, and then explain the decline of Jewish power in 
Arabia. 

The country of Sheba, where dwelt latterly the Homer- 
ites, so called, had been already known to the ancient 
Israelites since the time of Solomon, who received a visit 
from the Queen of Sheba, and who, on account of his costly 
presents, was ever afterwards held in great repute.f It has 
been, probably, also visited by Jewish merchants, and that 


* Pocock. spec. Hist. Arab. nol. adabulphar, p. 62. 
t Bochart Geogr. Sact. Lib. ii. c. 24. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


131 


from beyond the Red Sea, in order to carry the native 
products from Sheba to Palestine ; perhaps, also, to Alex¬ 
andria, and even farther. 

In consequence of a great bias of the Orientals to push 
their pedigree as far as possible, and to trace the connection 
of the stock, there might easily arise a bond between the 
Israelites and Shebites, since the latter derived themselves 
in part from Eber , and might then have been known under 
the original surname of the ancestor of the Israelites, 
Abraham, which is called Hebrew, in the same manner as 
the Israelites acknowledge their relation to Arabian nations 
through Abraham. The Shebites have also practised cir¬ 
cumcision on the eighth day after birth, which custom is 
most certainly derived from Abraham , and has continued up 
to Ishmael and the children of the concubines. Even 
though circumcision, according to some, was adopted by 
other people independent of the influence of holy writ, still, 
it always took place with them at the age of maturity only, 
and not on the eighth day after birth. The unanimity of this 
custom between the Shebites and Israelites, as soon as they 
became acquainted with each other, produced a covenant, 
because this symbol was the sign of the covenant between 
God and his people. The religion of the Shebites, which 
consisted in the worship of the heavenly bodies, would have 
been no obstacle to an approximation, for the Israelites 
have, in this respect, never observed their law, and David 
and Solomon made covenants even with those who were un¬ 
circumcised. But the immense distance produced estrange¬ 
ment, until it pleased the queen of Sheba to test the wise 
king of a people related to one another by an enigma, and 
to undertake so great a journey, which had also, probably, a 
political object in view. 

Such a connection being taken for granted, promoted at 
the same time freedom of religion in Arabia ; among the 
Jews at a later time, especially among the fugitives from 
Judea ; and more particularly among those Egyptians and 
Persians who, after the building of the second temple, and 
those Syrians who, after the time of Alexander, fled contin- 


I 


132 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


ually to the promised land, and entered into those regions 
where the desert answers the purpose of a bulwark to pro¬ 
tect them from the enemy. Had only a small number of 
Jews found in this region food and shelter, they might, in 
the course of time, have drawn after them a greater 
number ; particularly so, because in the reign of the Seleu- 
cidae the attention of the Jews was more generally directed 
to the preservation of their religion, and especially to the 
often interrupted ceremony of circumcision, than to the 
support of a state. They thus gradually migrated to the 
fertile parts of Arabia, and peopled Arabia Felix, so called, 
—otherwise named Sheba, Jemen Homorolis—which is, 
perhaps, to us, a nice distinction, and at this time no longer 
clear. Notwithstanding their connection with the Shebites, 
they could not well amalgamate with each other ; because the 
Israelites were already too great zealots in religion, and 
resembled no longer the ancient Israelites in their fickleness. 
But the natives hated them because they differed from most 
of the Arabians in their mode of living. The latter were 
wanderers, requently changed their location, and often went 
in pursuit of plunder. The Jews, on the contrary, endeav¬ 
ored, conformably to their ancient custom, to settle them¬ 
selves down as an agricultural people, in order to obtain a 
permanent support. For this purpose, they were best con¬ 
tented in the southern part of Arabia, on the sea-coast, 
opposite Ethiopia, because there were here already small 
and regular settlements. 

We might thus find the principal entrance of the Jews in 
the time of the Maccabees,because the Jews were very much 
oppressed on the east, north and west, and saw but one 
outlet towards the south. We find them subsequently, in 
the time of Herod, on such friendly terms with the inhabit¬ 
ants of Arabia-Petrse that Antipater the father of Herod, 
entrusted all his children to their care, in order to pursue the 
war in Palestine without anxiety ; and under Herod there 
were many Jews who went withGallus to Arabia* through 


* Strabo, Lib. xvi. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


133 


the Red Sea. Both of which presupposes an intimate ac¬ 
quaintance. 

Be this as it may, according to other historiographers the 
decoration of the Caaba is brought in connection with the 
history of the Jews, and the following is narrated as the oc¬ 
casion of it.* King Asad S. Amru , who reigned in Jemen, 
ruled also over that part of Arabia called Hedjias by means 
of a governor. This governor oppressed the Jews to such an 
extent that they rebelled against him and killed him. As 
well on account of the governor,who was the king’s relation, 
as also to put down the insurrection, the king undertook, in 
order to avenge his death,—with the assistance of one hun¬ 
dred thousand men, a march to Hedjias, and particularly to 
Medina. But he found on particular inquiry that the re¬ 
bellion had been caused by inhuman oppression ; and so far 
from punishing the rebels, he intimated that had he known all 
the circumstances he would have killed the governor. Sub¬ 
sequently a family, by the name of Hudail incited the king 
against the very rich Caaba, the treasures of which he might 
at least carry off; but the Jewish Rabbi (who were at that 
time the principal owners of the temple) represented to him 
the sanctity of the place, and the divinity presiding over the 
temple, in such strong language, that he not only left the 
treasures untouched, but ordered the heads of the inciters to 
be taken off. He remained at Mecca one year, and orna¬ 
mented the Caaba with beautiful tapestry. 

This king was murdered by some of his subjects. Two 
sons preceded him, one after another, Hassan Tobbai and 
Amru Tobbai , the first of whom caused all sorts of murder 
to be committed in revenge of his father’s death ; but was 
deprived of life by his brother, f 

As their father had professed Judaism, nothing prevents 
us from considering them Jews , since Judaism includes the 
transfer to posterity. The silence of authors who should 


* JNuweir, by Michael, c. 1. 


f Aschmed, b. Juss. et al Jannabi. 

12 




134 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


have written of a changed religion as it respects royalty, 
rather confirms the fact. 

The S5th king, Abd-al-Alel, son of Dhul-abad, who sprung 
from a new family, or at least from a collateral line, became 
again, according to the speech of the Arabians, a follower of 
the religion of Messiah, under which must be understood 
the Jewish religion , for that of the Christian was termed 
Nazarene. 

Thus much is certain, that in the course of the last century 
Judaism in Arabia has made rapid progress, and was con¬ 
stantly, although not, as it regards royalty, a very prevalent 
religion, so that there were many entire and independent 
Jewish-Arabic tribes,who defended themselves, according to 
the custom of the country, against other unfriendly tribes. 
The best proof that is given by the long duration of the 
independence of these tribes in Hedjias and Yemen, where 
even the domination of Mahometans has not extinguished 
them, and where they still live in a high degree of Arabian 
freedom, although they were at first much oppressed. 

History informs us that Christianity penetrated thither 
under different forms, orthodox and heretical, but that the 
nation at large maintained a steady attachment to Judaism. 
It does not appear that the Arians in any measure suffered 
for their heterodox opinions ; but the Trinitarians felt the 
consequences of their connection with the believers on the 
Upper Nile,* whence they had passed into Arabia Felix. 
Abyssinia was at this time a powerful kingdom; and one of 
its princes, Eles-baan or Caled, an enterprising warrior, 
much celebrated in the legends of his country, invaded the 
region of Homerites, and after defeating Dunaan the Jewish 
king, made him his tributary. The vanquished prince re¬ 
solved to avenge the ignominy of his submission upon his 
Catholic subjects, although they had no relation, save com¬ 
munity of faith, with the Ethiopian conqueror. He massa- 


* Christianity had been introduced into this remote region in an ortho¬ 
dox form, under the auspices of Athanasius, who consecrated Frumentius, 
the first bishop. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


135 


cred all whom he could get into his power j and laid siege to 
Negra, their principal town, with an army which is said to 
have amounted to 120,000 men. He summoned the inhabit¬ 
ants to surrender, and after some time they capitulated, on 
condition of the free exercise of their religion ; but the 
treacherous prince violated the terms without scruple, as 
soon as the gates were thrown open to him. He caused the 
bones of Paulus, the bishop of Negra, to be dug up and burnt ; 
and put to death a number of clergy and laity, because they 
would not embrace Judaism. It is probable that such of t he 
Christians as escaped, implored the protection of the king of 
Abyssinia ; who, invading Arabia in the following spring, 
deprived Dunaan at once of his kingdom and his life. With 
him terminated the Jewish Homerite dynasty. Abrahah, the 
son of a Roman merchant, and a Christian, assuming the 
royal dignity, made an alliance with the emperor Justinian, 
and paid him a small tribute ; but his endeavor to found a 
dynasty was unsuccessful, for after reigning a few years, he 
was defeated near Mecca by Chosroesthe First, and Arabia 
Felix was reduced into a province of the Persian empire. 
In this condition it remained till the time of Mohammed.* 
When the Arabian impostor had resolved to found a new 
religion, he sought to attract the Jews and Christians to his 
standard, by acknowledging the prophetical powers both of 
Moses and Christ ; but only those renegades, who wished 
for a plausible pretext to renounce their faith, could for a 
moment be allured by such means to think favorably of the 
Koran and its author. It is said that some of the Jews 
were at first inclined to support the pretensions of Moham¬ 
med, and even look upon him as the long-expected Messiah. 
But a better acquaintance with the doctrines which he 
taught, convinced them that he was a deceiver, who had no 
claims to divine authority ; and in the contest which he 
was obliged to wage in Arabia, for safety or for power, he 
encountered a fierce opposition from them. He first 
attacked the Kainoka, a tribe who dwelt in Medina, and 


* Basnage, book vi. chap. xx. p. 573—575. 



136 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


offered them his usual alternative, of Islamism or war. They 
replied that they were men of peace, and wished to be left 
to pursue their usual avocations undisturbed ; but added that 
not being prepared to abandon their faith, they would, it 
attacked, defend themselves with the resolution of men 
fighting for their dearest rights. They fled to a neighboring 
fortress, where they held out fifteen days, when they were 
obliged to capitulate. The victor, enraged at meeting with 
opposition from persons whom he despised as unwarlike, 
was about to order a general massacre, but was prevailed 
upon by Abdallah, one of his most powerful followers, to 
spare the lives of his captives. He, however, after plunder¬ 
ing them of their substance, obliged them to retire to the 
frontiers of Syria. Mohammed next attacked the tribe of 
Nadhir, who had provoked him by an attempt at assassina¬ 
tion ; and their citadel, three miles from Medina, defied his 
efforts so long and obstinately, that he granted to its garri¬ 
son the most favorable terms, permitting them to depart 
with all the honors of war. The bravest and most despe¬ 
rate of his enemies were the Koreish, an Arab tribe, from 
one of the families of which he was himself sprung. To 
these the Jews of Nadhir joined their forces, and the confed¬ 
erate army, amounting to ten thousand men, besieged the 
false prophet in his capital. He prudently declined a general 
engagement with a host so much superior in numbers to 
his own ; but his followers signalized themselves in various 
skirmishes, and after a siege of twenty days, a storm of 
wind and rain destroyed the tents of his enemies. Being 
now obliged to retreat, dissension was artfully sown among 
them by his agents ; and scarcely had they retired, when 
the indefatigable impostor led his troops against the Jewish 
tribe of Koraidha, who, after defending themselves in a 
strong hold twenty-five days, surrendered at discretion. 
They expected to find mercy from the commander, but he 
left the decision of their fate to an aged follower, Saad, the 
son of Maadh ; who chose to pronounce against the men the 
sentence of death, and to adjudge the women and children 
to slavery. Mohammed exclaimed that God* himself spoke 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


137 


by the mouth of Saad, and hastened to carry his sanguinary 
decree into effect. Seven hundred were massacred in the 
market place of Medina, and this butchery is recorded with 
savage, exultation in the Koran. The victors obtained a 
rich plunder of sheep and camels; though a supply of arms 
proved of more service to men whose occupation was war¬ 
fare. The Jews of Khaibar, a fertile district to the south¬ 
east of Medina, were the last to be subdued. They had 
eight castles, supposed to be impregnable ; but the enthu¬ 
siasm of the Mussulmans triumphed over every obstacle, 
and, after a more or less gallant resistance, every one of 
these fortresses was taken. The inhabitants who survived 
the contest, were allowed, during the life-time of the con¬ 
queror, to remain in their native land ; but Omar afterwards 
caused them to be transported to Syria, assigning as a rea¬ 
son the dying command of the prophet, that only the Mus¬ 
sulman creed should be professed in Arabia. The conquests 
of the latter did not stretch beyond that country ; but under 
his immediate successors his religion was greatly extended 
by the usual means of fire and sword. Christian writers 
must acknowledge, with shame and sorrow, that the pro¬ 
fessors of the true faith had, by their profaneness and in¬ 
difference, forfeited all claim to the protection of the 
Almighty, and justly deserved the terrible scourge which 
now afflicted them. In the very year of Mohammed’s death, 
the troops of Abubekr, his successor and the first caliph, in¬ 
vaded Syria. The forces of the Roman empire were routed 
in the field, the strongest cities were either taken by assault 
or surrendered to enemies believed to be invincible, and at 
length the Saracen host made its way to the walls of Jeru¬ 
salem. The holy city resisted their efforts four months ; 
and, at the end of that time, the inhabitants obtained honor¬ 
able terms of capitulation. Omar, who meanwhile had 
succeeded Abubekr in the caliphate, went in person to 
ratify the conditions, and receive the submission of a city 
which is venerated by the Mussulmans in a degree inferior 
only to Mecca and Medina. He erected a mosque on the 

spot where Solomon’s temple had stood ; and although this 
12 * 


*88 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


profanation of their holiest ground could not but prove a 
source of deep mortification to the Jews, yet they must have 
rejoiced at the humiliation of the Christians, who had so 
long oppressed them. They might now revisit and inhabit 
the sacred town, on the payment of tribute to the conquer¬ 
ors ; and this was far preferable to the galling enactments of 
several emperors, which rendered it a capital crime for any 
of them to be seen within the walls. To this people, dis¬ 
persed through the provinces of the Roman empire, which 
fell a prey to the Saracens, the change of masters could not 
be otherwise than joyful ; for an easy tribute was substitu¬ 
ted for the oppressive decrees, to which they had since the 
time of Justinian been subjected.* 

Nor were their brethren in the Persian dominions likely 
to mourn over the conquests, which at the same time sub¬ 
verted the Sassanian dynasty, and overthrew the religion of 
the Magi. After a succession of feeble princes, each of 
whom occupied the throne only a few months, Yezdegerd 
the Third, the grandson of Chosroes the Second, became 
king of Persia. He persecuted the Jews throughout his 
dominions, took away their synagogues, shut up their 
academies, and put many of them to death. But his power 
of oppression was of short duration. Before he had reigned 
twelve months, the Saracens invaded his kingdom, defeated 
his armies in various battles, and finally reduced the whole 
of his territories. Being obliged to skulk in a remote prov¬ 
ince, he was at length discovered and slain by a detachment 
of Mussulman troops ; and w ith him ended the race of 
Sassanian princes, who had ruled that country four hundred 
years. The Jews were now restored to the privileges of 
which they had lately been deprived, and had reason to 
rejoice at their change of masters. Their schools were re¬ 
opened, and rabbinical learning again lifted up its head. 
A tradition even asserts, that such was the favor which the 
caliph Ali showed towards them, that he bestowed a daugh- 
tor of the last Persian king on Bostenai, then Prince of the 


* Basnage, book vi. chaps, xviii. xix, p. 668—570. Gibbon, chaps, i. ii. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


139 


Captivity. This story is, however, contradicted by Arabian 
history, which informs us that the two daughters of Yezde- 
gerd were married into the family of the Caliphs,—the 
one espousing Hassan, the son of Ali, and the other becom¬ 
ing the wife of Mohammed, the son of Abubekr. The 
latter account ought to be preferred, as more consonant to 
the general policy of conquerors. 

The Mohammedan arms continued to advance, and in a 
few years the whole northern portion of Africa had trans¬ 
ferred its allegiance from the Roman emperor to the Sara¬ 
cen chiefs. Ainrou, the general of Omar, took Alexandria ; 
and among the various particulars by which, in a letter to 
his master, he attested the magnitude and wealth of the 
conquered city, he stated that there were in it forty thousand 
Jews.* 

From Africa the Mohammedans passed into Spain, where 
the same people were ready to welcome their approach, on 
account of the cruel treatment to which they had been 
subjected by the Christian kings. The Visigoths had con¬ 
quered that country in the fifth century ; but their religion 
was Arian. Recared, towards the close of the sixth age, 
established the orthodox faith ; but unhappily commenced 
against the Israelites a persecution which recalls to our 
minds the horrors of the Inquisition. The Spanish sove¬ 
reigns have, in this respect, too faithfully trodden in the 
footsteps of their ancestors; and in no country has the 
religion of the cross been more retarded by the atrocities 
which have been perpetrated under the color of its insulted 
name. The Jews at that time were numerous and indus¬ 
trious, employed partly in the cultivation of the soil, and 
partly in the management of the finances; and it is not 
improbable that the reputation for wealth, which was so 
fatal to them in the middle ages, had even thus early in- 


* About this time, an anchoret, named Cosmus, is said to have labored 
much by writing, to convert the Egyptian Jews. He also sent various of 
his followers to preach to them ; but we have no certain account of the 
success of these pious efforts. 




140 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


duced their jealous rulers to oppress them. Recared forbade 
them to possess Christian slaves, and proclaimed freedom to 
all such. His successor, Sisebut, in other things a moderate 
prince, went far beyond this ; being, it is said, excited to 
persecution by the emperor Heraclius. Be this as it may, 
he ordered all his Jewish subjects to renounce their faith, or 
quit his dominions. According to their own traditions, hav¬ 
ing assembled in the court of the palace, and obtained an 
audience of the king, they endeavored to convince him of 
the iniquity of his decree ; and among other arguments they 
told him that Joshua did not compel the Canaanites to em¬ 
brace Judaism, but contented himself with requiring them 
to observe the seven Noahic precepts. In making use of 
such an argument, they must have reckoned largely upon 
his majesty’s ignorance of Scriptural history. Sisebut 
remained inflexible ; and many of the Jews accordingly, 
rather than renounce their religion, fled into the neighbor¬ 
ing countries. Those who determined to remain, or found 
it impossible to remove, were treated with the utmost cruel¬ 
ty ; they were punished with scourging, imprisonment, and 
confiscation. To escape from these inflictions, a number 
made a profession of the Gospel ; and, if we may believe a 
Spanish historian, ninety thousand were baptized. It is 
probable that many of them soon abandoned a faith pre¬ 
sented them in so repulsive a form; for a curious 
document has been preserved, which contains the solemn 
promises of a number of relapsed Jews to live in a more 
Christian manner in future. They declare, “ that they will 
have no further intercourse with the unconverted Jews ; 
that they will relinquish the use of Hebrew customs ; that 
they will not intermarry with their unbelieving brethren ; 
that they will be faithful to the doctrines of the Gospel ; 
that they will do nothing contrary to the Christian faith ; 
and that if any of them violates this agreement, the rest 
will burn him, stone him, or place his life and property at 
the disposal of the king.”* Suintilla, the son and successor 


* This document is by some writers referred to a later period. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


141 


of Sisebut, was dethroned by Sisenand, who sumtnoned 
a council of the clergy at Toledo, in order, by their exhorta¬ 
tions, to confirm his subjects in their wavering allegiance. 
This synod (known by the name of the fourth council of 
Toledo) had for its president Isidore, archbishop of Seville, 
a man remarkable for piety and zeal. They complied with 
the wishes of his majesty, enjoining all his subjects to yield 
him a cheerful obedience ; and likewise made several enact¬ 
ments with regard to the Jews. Isidore, in his history of 
the Goths, had denounced the violent proceedings of Sisebut; 
and it may have been in a great measure by his influence 
that the council condemned all attempts at forcible conver¬ 
sion, declaring that men can be truly christianized only by 
gentle and persuasive methods. Yet the members of the 
synod did not feel themselves warranted to annul what had 
been done ; and further proclaimed that the Jews baptized 
by order of the monarch should be obliged to remain in the 
Church, alleging as a reason that the holy name of God 
would be blasphemed, and the true faith villified, if they 
renounced their baptismal vows. They likewise ordained, 
that such persons, in order to prevent the danger of a 
relapse, should be separated from their families, (if these 
still continued obstinately attached to Judaism,) and con¬ 
strained to live among Christians. However inconsistent 
these enactments may appear with their previous condemna¬ 
tion of forcible conversions, the annals of Spanish councils 
are so full of the most intolerant decrees, that we are glad 
to find Isidore and his clerical brethren even on one occasion 
expressing the sentiments inculcated by the Gospel of Peace. 
Feeble and flickering as their light may seem, it is the only 
exception to the general darkness. 

Suintilla the Second ascended the Spanish throne in 636, 
and the sixth council of Toledo, summoned in his reign, 
praised him for his persecuting zeal, and ratified the decree* 

* Such a decree, if rigidly obeyed, would have saved the kings and 
councils all further trouble about the Jews. But the distractions of the 
kingdom, and the frequent succession of sovereigns, rendered it impos¬ 
sible to carry these laws into effect. 



142 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


of banishmeut which he had pronounced against all the 
Jews in his kingdom. They further enacted, that every 
sovereign in future should, at his accession, solemnly swear 
to tolerate in his dominions no other faith besides the Catho¬ 
lic. When Wamba was raised to power in 672, as he 
owed his elevation in a great measure to the services of 
the clergy, he willingly took the prescribed oath, and issued 
an edict that all unconverted Hebrews should leave the 
realm. A great number of them passed the Alps, and en¬ 
tered Septirnania, a southern district of France, subject to 
the Gothic princes of Spain. In this province they were 
better received than they could have expected, for as the 
yoke pressed heavily on all the Septimanians, the common 
feelingof oppression drew Christians and Jews more closely 
together. The province at length revolted ; and Paul, a 
Greek by birth, and commander of the Gothic forces, placed 
himself at the head of the insurgents. He next assumed 
the title of king ; but his royal dignity was of short dura¬ 
tion, for Wamba speedily passed the Pyrenees, reduced 
Nismes, where Paul had fortified himself, and again sub¬ 
jected the inhabitants to his authority. We are not in¬ 
formed of the consequences which this unsuccessful rebellion 
produced on the condition of the Jews who had formerly 
settled in Septirnania or recently fled thither. The former 
had previously been treated with more indulgence than 
their Spanish brethren, perhaps because the Visigothic 
dominion was less firmly established in the frontier land 
which they inhabited ; but it is not improbable that Wamba, 
exasperated by the recent revolt, might endeavor to carry 
into effect the cruel and impolitic decree which he had else¬ 
where pronounced against the Jews. 

It was under the reign of Ervig, the successor of the 
monarch just named, that the twelfth council of Toledo was 
held ; an assembly w'hich has deservedly become infamous 
for the severity of its enactments. 

It was on the 25th of January, says the Spanish annalist, 
that the council was convoked, and on the 27th all the Jews 
of Toledo were summoned to the church of the Holy Mary, 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


143 


where was read to them the new edict, which we here give 
in full. 

1. The Jews have frustrated, by reason of their craftiness, 
the force of all decrees heretofore passed against them. A 
renewal of them, therefore, becomes necessary, especially 
since a few early ones have the appearance of absurdity ; 
namely, that the Jews are permitted to liberate Christians ; 
and that for each offence was inflicted one and the same 
punishment; and, in addition to this, the penalty of death, 
which runs contrary to holy writ. 

2. The greatest sin is that committed against the Holy 
Ghost. He who profanes the name of Christ, the Son of 
God, refuses to eat his body and drink his blood, or throws 
up what he has eaten or drank, or casts insinuations against 
the Trinity, i. e. against the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, 
shall, upon complaint of the priest or judge in the city, town 
or village where the offence has been committed, be scourged 
with a hundred lashes upon the bare body, and then be 
bound and banished from society, and his property shall 
belong to the reigning prince, or to any person to w hom the 
prince shall please to give it. 

3. The same punishment shall be suffered by every Jew, 
whether baptized or not, if he withholds, within the space 
of one year from the present time, his children, or his ser¬ 
vants, or himself and those that belong to him, from 
baptism. 

4. He who celebrates the passover conformably to Jewish 
custom, shall suffer the same penalty. He who practises 
circumcision on Jew's or Christians, or permits it to be prac¬ 
tised on himself, his entire private parts shall be cut out, 
and his property confiscated. Women who practice cir¬ 
cumcision on children, or occasion it, shall suffer the loss of 
their noses and property. The same shall happen to him 
who converts a Christian to Judaism. 

5. He who celebrates the new moon, the feast of the tab¬ 
ernacles, the Sabbath, the days of rest, or other feasts, 
conformably to Jewish custom, shall be scourged with a 
hundred lashes, and then banished. His property shall fall 


144 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


to the reigning prince, and, in case of his conversion, be 
returned to him ; or, if he remain stubborn, shall be given 
away. 

6. The like punishment shall every Jew and Jewess 
suffer, who goes out to work in the field on the Lord’s day; 
or manufactures woollen stuffs, or who does other work in 
the field, house or other places; it being not permitted 
according to Christian usage The punishment is the same 
also for domestics, if they are found working on the Lord’s 
day. Their masters shall pay only one hundred solid pieces 
(soliden) into the treasury. The following are the feasts 
which are included in the above decree :—The feast of 
the reception ; of Mary ; the birth of Christ; the circum¬ 
cision, and the transfiguration ; the day of crucifixion, 
ascension and pentecost. 

7. He who in future makes a distinction between clean 
and unclean food, and eats this and rejects that, shall be 
scourged in the same manner. The same is to be observed 
in drinking. He who refuses to drink with Christians shall 
be punished as above mentioned. In regard to food, how¬ 
ever, we order that those who otherwise conduct themselves 
in a Christian manner, but do not like to eat pork because it 
inspires them with disgust, and is against their nature, shall 
be exempt from punishment. It would be contrary to rea¬ 
son to make men answerable because they reject one kind 
of food, if they are otherwise ennobled by Christian deeds. 

8. The same punishment shall be inflicted on those who 
connect themselves in marriage or by sexual intercourse, 
being related to each other in the sixth degree. They shall 
forthwith be separated, and their property be granted to their 
children, when such children are legitimate and not Jews. 
But if they have no children, or are educated as Jews, or 
are bastards, then their property shall fall to the reigning 
prince, who may grant it to their Christian heirs or retain 
it in the treasury. He who violates this law shall either pay 
one hundred pieces (soliden) into the treasury, or receive 
publicly one hundred lashes. This punishment shall fall 
upon every abettor in such marriage, the husband, wife, and, 
under some circumstances, upon the parents. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


145 


9. Every subject who conceals a Jew, or assists his flight 
abroad, or suffers him to go, or conceals the fact, shall be 
scourged in like manner, and forfeit his property. 

10. He who accepts presents from Jews in order to con¬ 
ceal their religious acts, contrary to the church ; and instead 
of disclosing such acts or giving them up to be punished, 
favors or protects them against punishment, shall be subject 
to church penance, and pay into the treasury double the 
amount of the received gifts. 

11. No Jew is permitted to read any books written 
against the Christian religion, or keep them in his house, or 
use them for purposes of contemplation. He who endeavors 
to recover those books which have been taken away from 
him, and read them, shall be scourged with a hundred 
lashes, since this act is looked upon as a repetition of the 
offence. The same is the case with those who instruct their 
children otherwise ; and those who are engaged in teaching 
them shall receive for the first offence one hundred lashes, 
and promise in writing that they will in future teach nothing 
similar. For the second offence he shall receive one hun¬ 
dred lashes, suffer confiscation of his property and banish¬ 
ment. 

12. Christian slaves shall not be placed in the care of 
Jews ; and this is the same with the decree of Sisibus, 
with the exception of capital punishment It is also forbid¬ 
den to the Jews to liberate a Christian. This is, however, 
according to the new law, superfluous, since they are not 
permitted to own Christian slaves, and is now mentioned 
only for the benefit of former offenders. Yet we will give 
them time to sell all Christian slaves within sixty days from 
next February ; and that, too, with the previous knowledge 
of the priest or judge, at the place where the priest or judge 
resides ; otherwise the slaves will be punished with death, 
and the sellers of slaves in proportion. Thus, after the 
lapse of sixty days from the above-mentioned day, the Jews 
are forbidden to own slaves ; and the slaves who are unsold 
after that time shall receive of their master a peculium, 
and be liberated, as soon as they can prove that they were 

13 


146 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


forcibly concealed by their master. The Jew who conceals 
his slave, shall pay one half of his property into the treas¬ 
ury ; or, if he belong to the lower class, shall receive one 
hundred lashes. 

13. As it is anticipated that many a Jew will pretend to 
ne a Christian in order to retain his slaves, it is ordered, 
that all the Jews in the kingdom, from the first of February 
until the first of April, may either sell their slaves or pub¬ 
licly acknowledge themselves Christians. Within the 
specified time, those who are to be baptized may go to the 
place where their bishop resides, and hand him a confession 
of faith, subscribed by them; which confession must 
specially show, that the convert has renounced all Jewish 
customs, and will in no wise follow that sect. A form of 
the confession is subjoined. He who makes it must confirm 
it with his oath. These then may own Christian slaves, 
as soon as they show that they are good Christians. But 
those who do not make their confession of faith within the 
above specified time, will be treated according to the above- 
mentioned law. Slaves who have been retained by force 
and do not report themselves, shall be disposed of as the 
sovereign prince thinks fit. 

14. The declaration of faith is as follows : — “I, the un¬ 
dersigned, renounce all usages and customs of the Jewish 
sect ; and abhor them all, particularly the festivals and 
practices which I have formerly observed ; and in future 
I will conform to none of the usages or festivals of the 
Jews ; and will not practise any of my former errors. 
While I renounce every thing offensive to Christian doc¬ 
trines, and that is forbidden by them, I acknowledge that 

“ I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of 
heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. 

“ And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of 
God, begotten of his Father before all worlds ; God of God, 
Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, 
being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things 
were made 5 who for us men, and for our salvation, came 
down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


147 


the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also 
for us, under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, 
and on the third day he rose again, according to the Scrip¬ 
tures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right 
hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, 
to judge both the quick and the dead ; whose kingdom 
shall have no end. 

“ And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of 
life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son ; who with 
the Father and the Son together, is worshipped and glorified ; 
who spake by the prophets. And I believe in one Catholic 
and Apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the 
remission of sins ; and I look for the resurrection of the 
dead, and the life of the world to come. Believing in the 
foregoing truly, preserving it faithfully, embracing it with 
my whole heart, I promise never to return to the dregs of 
Jewish superstition. I will never observe the usages and 
customs of the Jews, nor desire to observe them. I will 
renounce Judaism wholly ; reject every thing that is offen¬ 
sive to the Christian faith ; and I promise to believe in 
future in the Holy Trinity, and to live always as befits a 
Christian, avoiding all intercourse with Jews ; always to 
connect myself with pious Christians ; to eat food in and 
out of the presence of Christians ; and that I will attend the 
church like a faithful and devout Christian. 

“ I promise devoutly to observe the feast of the Lord, as 
also the feasts of Martyrs, which Christian piety commands 
to be celebrated ; to keep all festivals ; to cherish them 
with supreme love ; to attend them in the company of the 
most sober Christians, according to their custom. This 
confession of my faith and my belief is concluded on the 
-day and-year of the king,” &c. 

15. The oath of the Jews is as follows : — “ I swear first 
by God Almighty, the Father, who spake : By myself shall 
ye swear, and not swear falsely ; by the name of the Lord 
your God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and all 
things therein; who fixed a bound to the sea w hen he 
spake : Hitherto shalt thou come, and here may thy swelling 




143 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


waves be broken ; who has said, Heaven is my throne, and 
the earth my footstool ; who first expelled the insolent arch¬ 
angel from heaven ; before whose countenance all the host 
of angels stand in awe ; who drieth up the deep, and whose 
anger melteth mountains ; who placed Adam in Paradise 
ai d commanded him not to eat of the fruit of the forbidden 
tree, in consequence of a violation of which he drove him 
fiom Paradise, and sin was entailed upon the human race. 
Who accepted Abel’s sacrifice with favor, and who justly 
punished unworthy Cain. Who preserved Enoch and Elias 
in Paradise. Whom it pleased to preserve in the ark, 
Noah, with his wife, his three sons and their wives ; the 
beasts, winged fowls and worms, at the time of the flood, in 
order that through him every species might be perpetuated. 
Who caused Abraham and all the Israelites to be born of 
Shem, the son of Noah. Who chose the patriarchs and 
prophets, and blessed the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and 
Jacob. By him, who promised and spake to the holy Abra¬ 
ham : In thy name shall all the nations of the earth be 
blessed, while he gave him the sign of circumcision as a 
token of an everlasting covenant. I swear by him who 
destroyed Sodom, and changed the wife of Lot, who looked 
back, into a pillar of salt; and by him who wrestled with 
Jacob, touching his thigh, lamed him, and then spake : 
Thou shalt no more be called Jacob, but Israel. I swear 
also by him, who delivered Joseph from the hands of his 
brethren, gave him grace in the eyes of Pharaoh, so that 
through him Israel might be saved from famine. I swear 
also by him who saved Moses from a watery grave, and 
appeared to him in the burning bush. Who, by the hand of 
Moses, sent ten plagues upon the Egyptians, and delivered 
his people from the bondage of the Egyptians, and caused 
them to go through the Red Sea upon dry land. I swear 
by him who drowned Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea. 

“ I swear by him who went before the people of Israel in 
a pillar of clouds by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. I 
swear by him who, in the presence of the people of Israel, 
caused Mount Sinai to smoke. I swear by him who chose 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


149 


Aaron as his high priest; who destroyed his sons in the 
tabernacle by fire, because they had presumed to offer 
strange fire before the Lord. I swear by him who caused 
Dathan and Abiram to be swallowed up alive by the earth. 
I swear by him who turned bitter waters, by means of 
wood, into sweet waters. I swear by him who fed the 
Israelites forty years in the wilderness, and preserved their 
garments so that they were neither torn or worn out. I swear 
by him who commanded that none of the sons of Israel 
should come into the promised land, because they had not 
believed in the word of the Lord, except Joshua, the son of 
Nave, (Nun,) and Caleph, who were to enter there. I 
swear by him who commanded Moses to procure victory for 
the Israelites by raising his hand against the Amalekites. I 
swear by him who caused our fathers (by the hand of 
Joshua the son of Nave,) to go over the river Jordan, and 
commanded them to erect twelve stones, taken from that 
river, as a memorial. I swear by him who commanded the 
Israelites, after passing the river Jordan, to circumcise 
themselves with knives of stone ; and by him who destroyed 
the walls of Jericho. I swear by him who divided the glory 
of dominion with David, and delivered him from the hand 
of Saul and his son Absalom. I swear by him who, in con¬ 
sequence of the prayer of Solomon, fdled the temple with 
darkness and poured out his blessing. I swear by him who 
raised the prophet Elias in a fiery chariot, through a whirl¬ 
wind from the earth, and conducted him to the heavenly 
mansions; and by him who, in consequence of Elias’s 
prayer, divided the river Jordan by means of a blow from 
Elias’s mantle. I swear by him who inspires all his 
prophets with the Holy Ghost, and who delivered Daniel 
from the roaring lion. I swear by him who preserved the 
three children in the fiery furnace from harm in the presence 
of the king ; who holds the key of David, and shuts so that 
none can open, and opens so that none can shut. I swear 
by him who caused all the miracles and powers and signs 
among the Israelites and other nations. I swear also by the 
holy ten commandments, in the decalogue. I swear also by 
IS* 


150 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father, and by the Holy 
Ghost, who, in the Trinity, is the only and true God ; by 
the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his ascension, 
and his glorious and awful return, when he will judge both 
the quick and the dead ; by his adorable love and his 
precious blood; who opened the eyes of the blind, unstopped 
the ears of the deaf, caused the lame to walk again, loosed 
the tongues of the dead, healed the lepers, raised the dead, 
restored Lazarus to life, and turned mourning into joy ; who 
who is the cause of time, light and salvation ; who has 
illumed the world ever since its existence ; who redeemed 
the world by his suffering ; whom death could not over¬ 
come ; who narrowed the circumference of hell, and who 
rescued the souls of the good from the jaws of hell. I 
swear also by all the powers of heaven ; by the rest of all 
the saints and apostles ; also by the four evangelists, (which, 
together with the former conditions, lie upon the altar of 
the Holy of Holies, which I hold or touch with my hands,) 
“ That I have caused every thing to be put in my 
confession of faith which could be embraced in it, and 
which 1 have handed to thee, my Lord and Bishop, sub¬ 
scribed with my own hand ; that I have said every thing 
contained in it with full consciousness, and have given 
the contents of my confession without evasion or reserva¬ 
tion. On the contrary, I have renounced, conformably with 
its contents, in all candor, all usages and customs of the 
Jews, and will now believe with my whole soul in the 
Trinity, never return to the dregs of my former errors, 
or go in company with Jews, but conduct myself always as 
becomes a Christian ; cherish only Christian intercourse ; 
preserve with purity what is contained in the confession 
written by me, touching the exercise of holy faith, according 
to apostolic tradition and the precepts of the holy symbols. 
Should I ever commit a fault, soil our holy religion, or con¬ 
form to the sect of the Jews ; or under cover of an oath 
deceive or not perform what I have promised, as you hear 
and understand by my confession ; then may all the curses 
of the law descend upon me which are spoken by the mouth 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


15 


of the Lord against the traitors to divine commands! May 
there descend upon me, and my house, and my children, all 
the plagues of the Egyptians; and, in order to terrify all 
others, may the judgments of Dathan and Abiram come 
upon me, so that the earth swallow me alive! Thus may I, 
after the close of this mortal existence, be delivered to ever¬ 
lasting torments, and burn as a culprit in company with the 
inhabitants of Sodom and Judea! And when I shall have 
arrived at the judgment seat of the awful judge of our glo¬ 
rious Lord Jesus Christ, may I be numbered with those to 
whom the judge shall say, Depart, ye abandoned ones, into 
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels! 
Done on, &c.” 

16. A slave of a Jew, having already become a Christian, 
and being persuaded to deny Christianity, shall henceforth 
abide in slavery in some other place. The informer shall, 
if he is a Jewish slave, be set at liberty, provided he adopt 
the Christian religion. If he be a Christian he shall receive 
of the master complained of, for every slave informed 
against, five solids (soliden.) 

17. No Jew shall have an office, or any authority by 
which he may lead, command, confine or detain a Christian, 
excepting when the sovereign or the public benefit shall re¬ 
quire it. Should a Jew exercise such authority in any place, 
and introduce any thing contrary to the decrees, half of his 
property shall be confiscated ; or, if he have no property, 
he shall receive one hundred lashes. The person conferring 
such authority shall, if he be a nobleman, pay into the 
treasury ten pounds in gold ; if he belongs to the lower 
class, five pounds in gold. In case of inability one hundred 

ashes will be received. 

18. Since every means, even if it be only selfishness, must 
be employed to spread the worship of Christ, every Jewish 
slave belonging to any Jew, who has hitherto lived in their 
religion, but is desirous of becoming a Christian, shall with 
a peculium, be liberated immediately, and what has been 
said of Christian slaves applies to him. 

19. Jews shall not be employed as stewards, agents or 


152 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


overseeers. When a Jew accepts from a layman a place 
as overseer over Christian domestics, then the whole pro¬ 
perty entrusted to him, shall fall into the treasury, and the 
overseer shall be punished with one hundred lashes and with 
the loss of one half of his property. Should it happen that 
a bishop or a priest or clergyman entrust a Jew with matters 
pertaining to the church, then the entire property so en¬ 
trusted shall be confiscated; or if he have nothing, the 
offender shall be burned, in order that he may learn from the 
severe punishment what great wickedness it is to prefer an 
unbeliever to a Christian. 

20 . When a Jew from another city or province of our 
kingdom travels to some place, he shall go immediately to 
the bishop, priest or judge of the place, and he is forbidden 
to leave it until a Lord’s day or other festival, that may 
succeed it, has elapsed, and until he has received a priest’s 
certificate of his good behavior, in order that no one may 
find a hiding place for his error under the pretence of travel¬ 
ling. On those days when they are permitted to go where- 
ever they please, they must constantly associate with true 
Christians, eat with them, partake of the communion with 
them. They shall go to Church on their own former festi¬ 
vals, or meet with the priest who will instruct them. But 
should they insist that by their documents, they are not 
obliged to do so, or are prevented by unavoidable necessity, 
then the priest shall give them a permit, but on the condition 
that they promise in writing at what places they will spend 
the coming ancient sabbaths and festivals with the bishop? 
upon which promise he shall then furnish them with certifi¬ 
cates. This priest shall send immediately letters subscribed 
by their own proper hands, to those priests with whom they 
intend to tarry, in order that they may practise no deception. 
As soon as any one acts differently, the bishop of the place, 
in common with the local judge, shall punish the offender 
with one hundred lashes. We do not suffer the Jews to 
return to their possessions unless they exhibit all the letters 
of the bishops through the places they have travelled. In 
these letters every thing must be minutely observed, the day 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


153 


of arrival at the bishops, the days of tarrying there, and the 
day of departure. 

21 . The Jews, in the whole kingdom, on all their sabbaths 
and festivals, shall always assemble at the local bishops. 
No one shall leave the jurisdiction of the bishop during 
these suspected days, without his consent. In those places 
where a bishop or clergyman resides, they shall assemble 
themselves on the sabbath at the bishop’s or clergyman’s ; 
where there is no bishop or clergyman, then they shall meet 
at the judge’s or other acknowledged Christians. The 
wives and daughters of Jews shall also be cared for. The 
priests shall select women for this purpose, at w hose houses 
they shall tarry during the festivals. Let no priest presume 
to select a particular place in order to satisfy his lusts ; nor 
let him presume to be on too intimate terms with the 
Jewesses under the pretence of Christian zeal. Should a 
priest abuse his trust, by gratifying his lusts under a pretence 
as mentioned before, he shall be dismissed and forever ban¬ 
ished. 

22 . When a layman w r ho owns a Jew, man or woman, or 
has them under his care, and defends them w r ith his own 
hands against the priest, and does not permit them to be in¬ 
structed on days of festivals, he shall lose his right to them ; 
be excommunicated by the bishop from w hom they were with¬ 
held, and shall pay three pounds in gold as a punishment. 

23. The clergy are entrusted with the execution of all the 
decrees relating to the Jews, and enjoined to punish every 
violation of them, and when necessary, to employ force. 

24. Should a priest in the execution of the above orders, 
by reason of self-interest or heedlessness, manifest sloth, 
such priest shall be excommunicated for three months and 
pav one pound in gold as a penalty, and it he cannot do this, 
he shall be excluded six months. Should there be none suffi- - 
ciently inspired with zeal, then the sovereign prince shall 
punish their indolence and make good their offences. The 
same applies to all inferior clergy whom the bishop entrusts 
with this duty. Every judge who shall be tardy in punish¬ 
ing the above specified offence shall pay a pound of gold. 


154 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Those priests, and judges and all others already mentioned, 
shall, when it is impossible to do so, or when real obstacles 
prevent them from executing those duties, be exempt from 
the above prescribed punishment. 

25. The judges shall not pronounce judgment upon any 
offence committed without advice of clergy, in order that 
they may not be bribed by gifts. Where there is no clergy¬ 
man, the judge may proceed alone. If it be necessary for a 
bishop to travel for some time, he shall leave behind him a 
substitute to act in this matter. 

26. The whole clergy and the judges are enjoined to re¬ 
commend every Jew to assemble, and shall, when they can do 
no better, bring the matter before the prince or before the 
higher clergy. As soon as one gives due notice, he is ex¬ 
empted from all responsibility, and the bishops are likewise 
exempted from punishment, when they have received no due 
notice. 

27. All those who have forfeited their property and lib¬ 
erty, shall, in case they reform and can show testimony of 
their Christian conduct, be pardoned by the prince, and he 
shall recall the banished and restore to him his property. 
But those who return to Judaism, shall not be pardoned; on 
the contrary, they shall be punished as they may deserve. 

23. In order to avoid all pretended ignorance, every 
clergyman is ordered to supply each Jew, who may come to 
him, with a copy of these new decrees ; since the book is 
read in the church before them and then handed to them, no 
one can plead ignorance as an excuse. Besides, every 
priest shall faithfully preserve in his archives all the docu¬ 
ments of the Jews, containing their confession and their oath, 
in order that they may serve as evidence against unfaithful 
ones. 

These decrees are the first which have attained a degree 
of perfection that no former ones ever had. But the first 
glance at them will show their incompleteness. Not taking 
into view that the prescribed lashes which, in consequence 
of repeated offences, have been inflicted upon millions of 
Jews, who, no doubt, remained true to their faith, and that 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


155 


they must have exhausted the catch-pole as well as inspired 
the judge with disgust, the treatment of the Jews was, (even 
supposing the bishops and judges had witnessed a sufficient 
degree of cruelty in seeing innocent men lacerated,) too 
painful not to weary them of such loathsome business. 
And in order to punish legally all the officers on account of 
negligence, the Gothic throne should have stood firmer than 
it did. The influence of these decrees upon the Jews is 
readily to be seen. They were forced to go over to the 
Catholic church, and gain nothing more than bitter scorn, 
the most disgraceful mortification and neglect as citizens, 
and the most unpleasant delays in travelling ; besides that, 
they were exposed to the intrigues of the clergy. 

After the lapse of a few years, the same king ordered 
Julian, archbishop of Toledo, to write against the Jews. 
He endeavored to persuade them of the truth of Christianity, 
by showing how strikingly the prophecies respecting the 
Messiah were fulfilled in our Lord ; and by arguing that the 
destruction of the temple, the extinction of the priesthood 
and sacrifices, and their own dispersion throughout the 
world, clearly showed that the Mosaic ritual had come to 
an end. We know not that his writings had much influence 
upon the minds of his opponents ; nor indeed was it to be 
expected that they would listen calmly or favorably to the 
arguments of a member of that ecclesiastical body, which 
was constantly occupied in enacting the most oppressive 
laws against them. The bigoted priesthood did not reflect 
that their persecuting spirit was as displeasing in the sight 
of God, as the obstinate unbelief which they charged upon 
their antagonists ; and did not remember that all men are 
too prone to judge of a faith, not by its intrinsic merits, but 
by the conduct of those who make a profession of it. The 
ungodly lives of nominal Christians have always presented 
a formidable obstacle to the conversion of the ancient people : 
but when, as in Spain at this time, to a melancholy depar¬ 
ture from the purity of evangelical doctrine there was added 
the fiercest intolerance, could it be surprising that few were 
really won over to that Gospel, which secures to the sincere 
believer peace in this world and in the world to come? 


156 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


In the reign of Egica, the next king of Spain, the Jews 
were accused of holding a secret correspondence with their 
brethren in Africa, now enjoying toleration under the sway 
of the Mohammedans ; and having formed a conspiracy 
to subdue and massacre the Christians. Another council 
was held at Toledo, where the bigoted clergy enacted, that 
all the Jews who were convicted of a share in this plot 
should be sold as slaves, and their children brought up in 
the true faith. Witiza, who succeeded to the throne, 
deemed it wise to attempt to recall the Jews who had fled 
from the rigorous edict of his predecessor, by proclaiming 
that their religion would be freely tolerated, and themselves 
restored to every privilege of citizenship. But, even if the 
intolerance of the priesthood would have suffered this pru¬ 
dent decree to be carried into effect, a very short time was 
allowed for its operation, for a few years afterwards the 
prince was succeeded by Roderic, the last of the Gothic 
kings. 

Not long after the commencement of his reign, the Sa¬ 
racens, invading Spain, defeated Roderic, who was drowned 
in his flight from the fatal field of Xeres, and subdued the 
whole peninsula, with the exception of the mountainous 
district of the Asturias, which might justly boast of alone 
maintaining its religion and independence. When the Arabs 
were invited into the peninsula, and assisted in its conquest 
by so powerful a nobleman as Count Julian, it can excite 
little surprise if the oppressed Israelites not merely hailed in 
secret the approach of the invaders, and regarded them as 
their deliverers, but openly co-operated with them in attack¬ 
ing their Christian enemies. If any where in that country 
it might be anticipated that they would rise against their 
masters, it must have been at Toledo, the seat of intole¬ 
rance, whence so many persecuting edicts had been dispersed 
through the land. And accordingly we are told by a Span¬ 
ish annalist, that they introduced the Arabs into the city 
upon Palm-Sunday, while the inhabitants were engaged in 
a procession to a church without the walls ; and that they 
assisted the infidels in a general massacre of the Christians, 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


157 


when they returned home unsuspicious of danger. What¬ 
ever truth may be in this, they had good reason to rejoice at 
their deliverance from Gothic tyranny, as they lived in 
peace and plenty under the milder rule of their new masters.* 
The Jews in France were regarded with scarcely more 
favor than their brethren on the other side of the Pyrennees ; 
and they owed their safety, in a great measure, to the man¬ 
ner in which that country was divided among the descend¬ 
ants of Clovis. As the sovereigns of the different Gallic 
kingdoms, always rivals and often enemies, did not act in 
concert, when persecuted in one state they could find refuge 
in another. Besides, the weakness of many of the Merovin¬ 
gian princes prevented their intolerant edicts from being 
carried into effect ; and the industrious Israelites found 
their sojourn among the idle and half-savage Franks too 
profitable to think of leaving their habitations, unless con¬ 
strained by necessity. But it was not the persecuting 
spirit of the monarchs alone which they had to dread ; they 
met with an intolerance equally fierce, and probably more 
effectual, in the zeal of councils and individual bishops. In 
that priest-ridden period, the clergy frequently intruded 
into the office of the civil magistrate ; and thus we find 
various French synods, in the sixth and seventh centuries, 
forbidding the Jews to intermarry with Christians, exclud¬ 
ing them from functions of trust and emolument, and 
making many other invidious distinctions between them and 
the professors of the dominant faith. As an instance of the 
misdirected zeal and extensive influence of the prelates of 
that age, we may mention the proceedings of Avitus of 
Clermont with respect to the Jews. This individual had at 
various times endeavored to persuade them to renounce 
their creed, but without effect. He had also on one occa¬ 
sion restrained his flock from a general massacre of them, 
which they were ready to perpetrate on seeing an insult 
offered by a too zealous Israelite to a new convert. On 


* Basnage, book vi. chap. xxi. pp. 581, 582 5 and book vii. chap. iii. pp. 
596, 597. Depping, pp. 24—32. Beugnot, pp. 185—192. 

14 



158 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Ascension-day, however, the people (as if they imagined 
that their unchristian violence would be grateful to their 
exalted Savior) ran to the synagogue and destroyed it. 
The bishop, whether really approving this conduct or not, 
thought that the terror with which it was likely to inspire 
the Jews might prove a means of inducing them to abjure a 
faith for which they were exposed to such harsh treatment, 
and therefore sent a message that they must either embrace 
Christianity, or leave the city, adding, that he did not wish 
to force them to receive the Gospel, and therefore submitted 
the choice of two alternatives. Refusing to yield, they shut 
themselves up in a large building, along with their wives 
and children. The populace surrounded this edifice, their 
fury increased every moment, and they at length threatened 
to force the doors, and put every one of them to the sword. 
Distrusting their ability to resist so ferocious a mob, the 
Jews sent a messenger to the bishop requesting him to 
release them from their perilous situation, and promising to 
comply with his desires. Avitus hastened to the place, 
calmed the rage of the multitude, and received the sub¬ 
mission of the trembling Israelites. They were baptized, 
to the number of five hundred, on the following Whit- 
Sunday, in the presence of a great number of the inhabitants 
of Clermont and its neighborhood, who crowded to witness 
a spectacle so unusual, and, as they probably deemed it, so 
triumphant. The philosopher may deride the folly, but the 
devout believer must lament the profanity, of such conver¬ 
sions. 

It appears that kings sometimes endeavored to gain 
converts from Judaism by other means than those of vio¬ 
lence. We are told by Gregory of Tours, that Chilperic, 
assisted by the episcopal historian himself, reasoned with 
Priscus, a rich Jcw r , his banker or jeweller, a man of great 
influence at court. But he was not convinced by the argu¬ 
ments of his majesty and his clerical coadjutor ; and, trusting 
to the favor which his royal master had hitherto shown him, 
he did not make even an external profession of the Gospel. 
Some time after, he was assassinated, while going to the 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


159 


synagogue, by a Jewish renegade, who wished to signalize 
his zeal for a religion which he professed but did not under¬ 
stand. The murderer took refuge in a church ; and accord¬ 
ing to that iniquitous custom, which turned the house of God 
into an asylum for criminals, received protection for the 
present. But some time afterwards, the family of Priscus, 
despairing of getting the assassin legally condemned, took 
an opportunity of putting him privately to death. The 
whole story is a curious illustration of the manners of the 
time. 

Dagobert the First was the sovereign who treated the 
Jews with the greatest cruelty. Having obtained the hearty 
concurrence of the clergy, he issued an edict requiring all 
the Israelites in his dominions to profess Christianity, or 
betake themselves to other countries. Thus, under the 
Merovingian dynasty their condition was always precarious, 
and sometimes intolerable ; but a better order of things 
arose for them, in common with their fellow-subjects, during 
the reigns of the Carlovingian princes, who shortly after 
supplanted the feeble and unworthy descendants of Clovis.* 


* Basnage, book vi. chap. xxi. pp. 583, 584. Depping, p. 36—42. 
Beugnot, p. 68—71. 



160 


CHAPTER XII. 


Golden age of Judaism—Kingdom of Khozar—Flourishing Condition of 
the Jews under the Caliphs of Bagdad—Anan and the Karaites—Leo 
the Isaurian and other Byzantine Emperors—Favor shown to the Jews 
by Charlemagne and Louis le Debonnaire—Agobard of Lyons—Caliphs 
of Cordova—Rabbinical Learning flourishes in Spain—Lives and 
Writings of Aben Ezra and Maimonides—Thirteen articles of Jewish 
Faith—Skill of Hebrew Physicians—Jewish Mistress of Alphonso IX. 
—From A. D. 660 to A. D. 1171. 


The period of history which we now approach has been 
by Mr. Milman felicitously termed the golden age of the 
modern Jews. “To them the Moslem crescent was as a 
star, which seemed to soothe to peace the troubled waters 
on which they had been so long agitated. Throughout the 
dominions of the caliphs, in the East, in Africa, and in 
Spain, in the Byzantine empire, in the dominions of those 
great sovereigns, Charlemagne, his predecessor and succes¬ 
sor, who, under Divine Providence, restored vigor and solid¬ 
ity to the Christian Empire of the West, and enabled it to 
repel the yet unexhausted inroads of Mohammedanism ; 
every where we behold the Jews, not only pursuing unmo¬ 
lested their lucrative and enterprising traffic, not merely 
merchants of splendor and opulence, but suddenly emerg¬ 
ing to offices of dignity and trust, administering the finances 
of Christian and Mohammedan kingdoms, and travelling as 
ambassadors between mighty sovereigns. This golden age 
was of very different duration in different parts of the 
world ; in the east it was before long interrupted by their 
own civil dissensions, and by a spirit of persecution which 
seized the Moslemite sovereigns. In the Byzantine empire 
we are greatly in want of authentic information, both con- 
zerning the period in question, and that which followed it. 
In the west of Europe it was soon succeeded by an age of 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


161 


iron. In Spain the daylight endured the longest,—to set 
in deep and total darkness.” * 

Before we enter, however, upon the consideration of this 
period, we may remark that, according to rabbinical tradi¬ 
tion, there was about that time a kingdom to the west of 
the Caspian Sea, where Judaism was the established re¬ 
ligion, though all other creeds enjoyed the most ample 
toleration. The name of it was Khozar. 

What is already related of the enthronement of Judaism 
in the kingdom of Khozar from very ancient times, Bulan, 
—says the historian, who did not scorn to intermingle little 
fables and wonderful things in order to embellish dry state¬ 
ments of facts,—Bulan or Bula, a wise chakan or king of 
Khozar, first embraced Judaism from choice, and made it a 
condition in the election of future kings. A line of such 
Jewish kings has, since that time, reigned over the Kho- 
zarite nation more than two centuries and a half, without 
abolishing religious freedom. Each king had with him, if 
we may credit reports, a particular chakan, who resided 
always in the palace, and did not interfere in matters of 
government. Such a personage must certainly have repre¬ 
sented the chacham of the Jews in Palestine, and other 
Jews ; and was probably occupied with no other business 
than the study of Jewish laws, the contents of which, and 
the cases submitted to him for his decision, he made known 
to the king. 

The king was held in great reverence. He went abroad 
but seldom, and received but few visitors. He gave 
audience only on pressing business, and then it became 
requisite for the person seeking audience of the chakan to 
fall on his face, according to the fashion of the Persians, 
and on command to arise, to wait. No person was per¬ 
mitted to ride by the grave of the chakan, but was obliged 
to alight, bow towards the grave, and pass by on foot until 
it was no longer in sight. When the chakan spake to a 
high functionary, “ Go, die,” this personage went home and 


* History of the Jews, vol. iii. p. 269. 
14 * 



162 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


committed suicide. The chakan was also judge, in which 
capacity he had nine associates. These consisted of Jews, 
Christians, Mussulmen or heathen, without distinction of 
religion. Thus much of the fragment-like constitution of 
the Khozarite kingdom. The subjects were mostly Chris¬ 
tians and Mahommedans ; the number of Jews was incon¬ 
siderable, compared with the latter. Most of the subjects 
were gradually converted to Christianity, so that the Chris¬ 
tian religion, since the enthronement of Judaism,—which, 
however, was still prevalent—became universally dissemi¬ 
nated without being opposed by the Jewish kings. Judaism 
probably remained in the royal family until the Khozarites 
were subjugated by the slaves, and their kingdom fell to 
ruins. 

The information of this Khozarite-Jewish kingdom made 
very little impression upon the Oriental Jews, who visited it 
often, and who perceived, perhaps, in such a Jewish king, 
more desire for an effeminate life, than sympathy for the 
general affairs of his suffering brethren ; but it made the 
greater impression on the Jews in Spain, where, at that 
time, the learned Jews began to be distinguished as favorites 
at the court of the kings of Cordova. Hasdai b. Isaac 
was much esteemed at the court of Abderrahmen, who 
adopted the name of Emir-Al-moumenin,* from which is 
derived the corrupted Miramamolin, who did a vast deal for 
the promotion of science in Spain. This Hasdai had heard 
of the Jewish kingdom of Khozar, and determined to know 
more of that country, in order to enhance the importance 
of his brethren. He addressed, therefore, a letter to the 
king of Khozar, (who was unknown to him,) the contents 
of which, (the words may have been preserved genuine or 
not,) we give here by extracts. After having saluted the 
king of Khozar with a poetical introduction, in verse, 
entirely in Arabic-Hebrew taste, he continues : 

" He, Hasdai b. Isaac, b. Ezra of the Jewish commu¬ 
nity of Spain, salutes the king with deepest reverence, and 


* Bibl. Arab, llesp. Escur. F ii. pp. 37, 2; 103, 1; 200, 2. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


168 


rejoices over his greatness, and prays for his health. He 
feels himself of too little importance to be permitted, by 
this letter, to approach so great a king; but he would pre¬ 
sume, nevertheless, to apply to him in writing, since he had 
the good fortune to be so near the king of Cordova, and 
would be glad to obtain information of an independent 
Jewish kingdom, which might contribute to elevate and 
strengthen his sunken brethren . 33 

Upon this he gives him a description of Cordova, its 
position, and a mathematical diagram of the probable dis¬ 
tance of Spain from Khozar. 

“ He believes , 33 continues he, “ that the great distance be¬ 
tween countries is the cause of ignorance which has hitherto 
prevailed in Spain respecting the kingdom of Khozar, 
although report said that already a few learned Spaniards, 
namely, R. Juda bar Meir bar Nathan, and R. Joseph, had the 
fortune to be shipwrecked on the coast of Khozar, and had 
beheld the magnificence of that land with their own eyes,— 
a fortune which he wished he had experienced for himself, 
although he served a king who was considered the greatest 
of all the caliphs, inasmuch as he governed fertile and 
wealthy Spain, (of which he would add also a brief mathe¬ 
matical and physical description,) and many kings sought to 
obtain his favor. He, Hasdai, has the office of receiving all 
the ambassadors, and delivering their presents to his king. 
He had embraced every opportunity to inquire of ambassa¬ 
dors coming from distant countries about the kingdom of 
Khozar, but received no intelligence. It was true that a 
few merchants from Chorazin had given reports of it ; but 
their accounts appeared to him incredible, and he had 
perceived interested motives in their narrations. However, 
the ambassadors from Constantinople confirmed him in the 
existence of a real Jewish kingdom in Khozar, and added 
that there were still other nations by land between the 
Greek and Khozar kingdoms, whilst by water a close 
connection existed between both ; that the Khozarites sent 
fish, hides, and other merchandize to Constantinople ; and 
that, generally, the commerce with the Khozarites was very 


164 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


brisk ; and, finally, that the name of the present king was 
Joseph. 

“ He had sought for a faithful messenger in order to des¬ 
patch him with a letter to Khozar, and had bestowed this 
commission, the acceptance of which was declined by so 
many, on a certain R. Isaak ben Nathan, and furnished him 
with money and recommendations to the court of Constanti¬ 
nople ; but he had been obliged, after the lapse of six months, 
to return without accomplishing his object, because, said he, 
the sea was navigable only at certain seasons, and also much 
too stormy, and the people in the country were engaged in 
war. This had occasioned him much grief. He had sub¬ 
sequently requested some persons from Palestine to send the 
letter, and they had promised him to forward it by way of 
Nisibis and Armenia, inasmuch as the ambassadors of the 
king of Gabal (interpreted by A1 Zokolow, both of whom 
being unknown to us) had arrived, who had brought with 
them two Jewish rabbis, M. Saul and M. Joseph, who had 
taken upon themselves to forward the present document by 
other ambassadors to its destination. 

“ The king has promised to answer this letter by his secre¬ 
tary, and to give him intelligence as to the tradition about a 
primeval emigration of the Jews from the region of Mount 
Seir (not the one spoken of in the Bible) to a region which 
was probably the same with the Khozarites ; he lamented 
that a Khozarite, (according to the account of those men) 
who had arrived six years before and been well received at 
the court of Spain, and who, notwithstanding every endeavor 
to find him, was not to be found. 

“ Since he had been thus deprived of the prospect of obtain¬ 
ing more particular intelligence of that kingdom, he would 
request him to send an exact account of the country of 
Khozar ; the constitution, the internal condition ; its inhabit¬ 
ants and products ; the provinces subjected to him ; the cus¬ 
tomary wars ; moreover, the history of the nation and every¬ 
thing which might be of interest.” 

Thus far R. Hasdai’s letter.—It is now said that after the 
lapse of some time, King Joseph answered R. Hasdai as 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


165 


follows:—He originated from a line of kings in which he 
was the twelfth ; the first of whom, Bulan, was directly 
stopped by an angel in a dream and commanded to embrace 
Judaism : but who subsequently had acknowledged it, since 
he had been convinced that the Christians, as well as the 
Moslems, acknowledged the faith of the Jews as the best, 
saving their own. Besides, the people of Khozar originated 
from Japhet and Thogarma, and were related to the Jews 
only through their fore-father’s blood. The court, at 
the same time, follows the laws of the rabbis of Babylon and 
Palestine, which had been introduced by one of their kings. 
He describes to him, moreover, the situation and magnitude 
of the country, the number of vassals, and its large forces. 
Since we take the answer, as it now exists for mere sup¬ 
position, the little which we extract from it is sufficient to 
show that even the author of the article had not presumed 
to convert the kingdom of Khozar into a real Jewish king¬ 
dom, and that therefore the mention of it could not particu¬ 
larly contribute to the increase of their pride, as R. Hasdai 
promised himself. Besides, we consider it highly improba¬ 
ble that the kings of Khozar had taken with them rabbinism, 
without at the same time aiming at the conversion of all the 
inhabitants, at least, the pagans. 

A learned rabbi from Spain, R. Jehuda Hallevi, has made 
use of the foregoing answer in order to versify a philo¬ 
sophical conversation of King Bulan with a Jewish philoso¬ 
pher, the principal object of which is the confirmation 
of the religious state of the Jews. He wrote this conversa¬ 
tion afterwards, in the Arabic language, from which, some¬ 
what later, it was translated into Hebrew, although very 
much tinctured with Arabianism. The book is generally 
known by the name of Cusri or Cosri. 

The Persian and Mesopotamian Israelites enjoyed a long 
season of peace and prosperity under the caliphs, first of the 
Ommiade, and afterwards of the Abbasside dynasty. Their 
academies of Sora and Pumbaditha were renowned for eru¬ 
dition, and attracted scholars even from the distant country 
of Spain. The race of doctors, called Gaonim, or Ulus- 


166 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


trious, formed a sort of literary aristocracy, who assisted or 
controlled the Prince of the Captivity in the exercise of his 
power. Shortly after the accession of their dynasty, the 
Abbasside caliphs began to distinguish themselves by their 
patronage of learning, and bestowed their favors upon its 
votaries without distinction of country or creed ; seeking 
to attract to their court all w ho were remarkable for acquire¬ 
ments in science or literature. In this princely munificence 
the Eastern Jews had a full share. The Caliph Almamon, 
one of the most splendid and successful princes of his race, 
caused the more valuable of the Jew ish books to be trans¬ 
lated into Arabic, an honor which they enjoyed in common 
with the finest productions of Grecian philosophy. Plato 
and Aristotle would have smiled, if they had seen the 
volumes which were deemed worthy to be placed side by 
side with their works in the royal library at Bagdad ; and 
would have alleged that the barbarian’s zeal for learning 
was more fervid than discriminating. The doctors of the 
Mohammedan law looked with dislike on the conduct of 
their sovereign, and regarded w ith equal contempt the ner¬ 
vous style of the Stagyrite, and the wild fictions of rabbinical 
tradition. 

But, though the Mesopotamian academies flourished, and 
became distinguished for the acquirements of their teachers 
and the number of their scholars, they were not always 
the scene of peaceful study alone. Divisions sometimes 
broke out among the doctors, and unseemly spectacles of 
strife were afforded to the gaze of their Mussulman and 
Christian opponents. The most remarkable of these dis¬ 
sensions, viewed in reference to its consequences, was that 
occasioned by Anan, a rabbi of great abilities. This man, 
according to Jewish authorities, having taken offence, 
either because he was deemed unworthy of the princedom of 
the captivity, or because he was not admitted into the number 
of the Gaonim, revived the opinions of the Karaites, and 
made himself a most formidable adversary to rabbinical 
power. 

The sect of the Karaites derive their name from the word 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


167 


Kara, textus, in consequence of their tenacious adherence 
to the Scriptures, and the rejection of all rabbinical tra¬ 
ditions. Morious, in his Exercitationes, supposes that this 
sect adopted the name of Karaim, i. e. Textuarii Scrip- 
tuarii, as glorying in their distinguishing characteristic ; but 
they themselves deny this, and say that their enemies gave 
them the name, as an epithet of reproach, in the same 
manner as Protestants have obtained the titles of Biblicals, 
Scripturals, Evangelicals, &c. The principal settlement of 
the Karaites, after the destruction of Jerusalem, was Cairo, 
in Egypt. They are also found at Constantinople, Damas¬ 
cus, Bagdad, Jerusalem, and other parts of Judea. In 
Russia, also, they have synagogues and separate settle¬ 
ments. 

The antiquity of this sect seems to be well established. 
They themselves pretend to an antiquity which derives its 
origin from the prophets who flourished about the period of 
the captivity, Daniel, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah and 
Malachi. The rabbis also, and especially Maimonides, 
acknowledge the antiquity of the Karaites. They affirm 
Anan to be the restorer, not the author of their sect, and 
this is acknowledged by R. Abraham Hallevi Ben Diov, 
who speaks of the Karaites under the epithet of minim, 
(heretics.) The Karaites have been confounded with the 
Sadducees,* probably because they both agreed in rejecting 


* The Sadducees derive their name from Sadok, a pupil of Antigonus 
Sochaeus, president of the great Sanhedrim about two hundred and sixty 
years before the Christian era, who inculcated upon his scholars the duty 
of serving God out of pure love to him, and not in a servile manner, under 
the fear of punishment or with the hope of reward. Sadok, misunder¬ 
standing this spiritual doctrine, concluded that there was no future state 
of rewards and punishments, and accordingly taught and propagated 
that error after his master’s death. Hence they held that 'there is no 
resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit/ (Mat. xxii. 23, Acts xxiii. 8,) and 
that the soul perishes with the body at death. They rejected all tradi¬ 
tions, adhering strictly to the letter of Scripture, but preferring the books 
of Moses; and they denied the superintending providence of God, and 
held that man enjoyed the most ample freedom of action, having the 
absolute power to do either good or evil, as he thought proper, and having 



163 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


tradition. But the Sadducees rejected Scripture, also, or 
part of it, which the Karaites did not do ; as their very 
name, if other proof were wanting, sufficiently shows. The 
antiquity of this sect is further proved, from their being 
mentioned in the Mishna, in Cod. Megilla. 

The Karaites also assert that our Savior was a member 
of their community, and that he entertained the same 
opinion as themselves with respect to the interpolations of 
the rabbis ; in support of which belief they adduce his 
repeated and violent denunciations against the rabbinical 
interpretations, and most positively deny that any member 
of their sect was, in the slightest degree, implicated in the 
crucifixion. 

These people likewise believe that they possess the only 
authentic copy of the Old Testament extant. Like the 
Quakers, they provide amply for the poor ; are principally 
engaged in commerce, and generally wealthy. 

The Karaites use circumcision because they are com¬ 
manded to do so in the law. They do not w r ear the fringes, 
as the rabbinists do, but only at morning prayer, when 
they put on the talith, which is made of cotton, with four 
fringes. The fringes of the Karaites also differ widely in 
the number of threads, from those used by the rabbinical 
Jews. The latter make theirs of eight, the former of thir¬ 
ty-two, because it is written, cc Speak unto the children of 
Israel, and bid them that they make their fringes in the 
borders of their garments throughout their generations ; and 
that they put upon the fringes of the borders a riband of 
blue ; and it shall be unto you as a fringe, that ye may look 
upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord 
and do them, 55 (Numbers xvii. 38, 89.) Now, the Karaites 
say, all the commandments of God are contained in the five 
books of Moses, which begin with the letter beth } and end 
with lamed; which, united, mean thirty-two. When we look 
upon these thirty-two fringes, we remember the wffiole law. 


his prosperity or adversity placed within his own control, being respec • 
tively the effects of his wisdom or folly. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


169 


Sixteen of the threads of the fringes are of white silk, and six¬ 
teen of blue ; for they say tachaleth means blue. The Rab- 
binists make their fringes of white wool ; they say tachaleth 
was a color which was made of the blood of a fish which ap¬ 
peared only once in seventy years, but since the destruction 
of the temple, the fish, which is called chilayon, disappeared 
entirely, and they have, therefore, now no tachaleth. The 
Karaites have no mezoza on the doors of their houses, like the 
Rabbinists, but on the doors of their synagogues. Their she- 
chitah, or the manner in which they kill their animals, is also 
very different from that of the Rabbinists. The Karaites will 
not eat meat killed by the Rabbinists, nor the latter what is 
slaughtered by the Karaites. The Rabbinists give the animal 
three blows with a knife, but the Karaites only give one and 
a half, besides which they have no bcdicka, or examination 
of the interior of the animal. The feasts of the new year 
and of pentecost only last one day among the Karaites, 
while among the rabbinical Jews they last two. They have 
no hoshana Rabba , and no chanicka, feast of dedication.* The 
former is kept very sacred by the rabbinical Jews. It is the 
seventh day of the feast of tabernacles, on which they offer 
up prayers for the forgiveness of sins, for prosperity, for 
health. The word hoshana, Hossana, occurs several times 
throughout the prayer. Whenever it does so, they call it 
hoshana Rabba, or the great Hossana, or the day of great 
help, assistance, or salvation. They sit up the w r hole of the 
night, reading portions of the Scriptures, prayers, and other 
books ; namely, the whole of the fourth book of Moses, the 
whole of the Psalms, and portions of the Sohar, &c. The 
feast of dedication lasts eight days among the rabbinical 
Jews. The Karaites do not keep either of these feasts. 
They have four fasts in the year—the 7th and 10th of Ab, 
10th of Tebeth, and the day of atonement. They do not 
blow the trumpet on new year’s day during prayer, like the 
rabbinical Jew’s, who say that Satan is, on that day in pai- 
ticular, accusing them before God: they therefore blow a 


15 


* See Appendix. 




170 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


trumpet made of a ram’s horn, the sound of which makes 
Satan so confused that he does not know what he says. Dr. 
Yost is misinformed when he says in his “ History of the 
Jews,” the Karaites keep the custom of the redemption of 
widows,* and the redemption of the first-born, and that 
their sons drink no wine and eat no meat until they are 
seven years old. This is not the case. They have ten 
articles of faith, which are as follows : 

“ 1. All things which exist are created. 

“ 2. They did not create themselves, but were created. 

“ 3. God is one, and has no form, no likeness j none is 
like unto him. 

“4. God has sent Moses, our master. 

cc 5. God has given unto us, by Moses, his perfect law. 

“ 6. It is necessary that each believer should know the 
language and meaning of the law ; i. e. that he should know 
how to read the same, and the interpretation of it.” 

From the explanation of this article, it would appear 
that the Karaites believe that God gave the law to Moses, 
written in the same way as we have it now, with the accents 
and the vowels ; and in order to understand the meaning of 
the Bible, the study of grammar and of logic is recom¬ 
mended. 

“ 7. That God has inspired the rest of the prophets. 

“ 8. God shall raise the dead at the day of judgment. 

“ 9. God shall reward each man according to his deeds. 

“ 10. God does not cast away the men of the captivity, 
though they are under his chastisement, yet they must hope 
for his help through the Messiah, the son of David.” 

In the explanation of this article, it is said that the Mes¬ 
siah will certainly appear at the end of six thousand years, 
(after the creation,) perhaps before. 

The Karaites are detested very much by the rabbinical 
Jews, who consider them worse than the Gentiles, particu¬ 
larly in Jerusalem. But it appears that elsewhere this 
enmity is fast passing away, for there exists a printed cor- 


* See Ruth iv. 2, 3, 4. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


171 


respondence between the chiefs of the Karaites in Russia, 
and some of the chief rabbinical Jews of Berlin, Vienna, 
and other places. 

In the Byzantine empire, this “ golden age ” of Judaism 
appears to have been less peaceful and prosperous than 
elsewhere. Various monkish writers have accused the Jews 
of exciting the emperor, Leo the Isaurian, to that uncom¬ 
promising warfare which he waged against images. They 
say that two Israelites came from Persia (where their 
brethren had lately induced the caliph Yezed to turn 
iconoclast) into Asauria, a province of Asia Minor. Tired 
with their journey, they sat down to rest beside a fountain, 
where they were joined by a young peasant, who was 
driving an ass laden with petty wares. Looking at him 
attentively, they astonished him by predicting that he would 
one day assume the purple ; adding, that it would greatly 
become him to exert his imperial power against the flagi¬ 
tious infraction of the second commandment of the law, 
daily practised by those who adored the images of the 
saints. The prophecy and advice sunk alike into the mind 
of Leo; and, when the former was accomplished, he 
zealously endeavored to carry the latter also into effect. 
This tale is, however, inconsistent with the known facts of 
his life ; and in particular is contradicted by the circum¬ 
stance, that after he became emperor, he persecuted the 
seed of Israel. We know that the veneration paid to 
images, by certain corrupt portions of the Christian church, 
has always proved a great hindrance to the conversion of 
the Jews, and is one cause of their hatred to the professed 
followers of the Redeemer. Nor can it be surprising, that, 
offended by the constant violations of a commandment, they 
should have profited by the edicts of the iconoclastic em¬ 
perors, and melted down images, or otherwise converted 
them to what their votaries would term profane purposes. 

Among the various calumnies which have been recorded 
by the monkish historians against Constantine Copronymus, 
the son and successor of Leo, it has been alleged that he 
became a Jew solely because he was a determined enemy 


172 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


of image-worship. The Emperor Nicephorus the First 
has, by the same writers, been branded with Judaism, be¬ 
cause he tolerated the Israelites ; and Michael the Stam¬ 
merer, for a similar reason, is termed, by Zonaras, with as 
little sense as delicacy, “the common sewer of all relig¬ 
ions,” as if the liberty of conscience, which he allowed to 
different sects, had been the result of his borrowing some¬ 
what from each of their creeds, in order to make up an 
eclectic faith of his own.* 

If our knowledge of the state of the Jews in the Eastern 
empire be scanty, our information respecting their condition 
in Italy is still more meagre. We may, however, conclude, 
that the silence of history with regard to them is occasioned 
by the absence of persecution. 

In France they enjoyed under Charlemagne the most 
liberal toleration, and amply shared in the general prosperity 
which characterized his long and successful reign. Com¬ 
plaints were made to him of the conduct of various ecclesi¬ 
astics, who were accustomed to sell or pledge to Hebrew 
merchants the rich plate and vestments belonging to the 
church. A weak or superstitious monarch would have 
screened the guilty clergy and punished the Israelites ; but 
he acted otherwise, and merely forbade, under severe penal¬ 
ties, the disposing of such goods in so irreverent a manner. 
Various Jews enjoyed the especial favor of this great prince. 
When he determined to send an embassy to the Caliph 
Harounal-Raschid, he made choice of one, named Isaac, as 
his representative; probably because none of his Christian 
subjects possessed a competent knowledge of the languages 
of the East. His Arab physician, too, had one of the same 
nation as a pupil and assistant, who translated into Latin a 
medical treatise which his instructor had composed for the 
use of the court. 

Well may a modern historian exclaim, “How many 
crimes would have been spared, if all sovereigns had imi¬ 
tated the wise policy of Charlemagne towards the Jews ! ” 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. iii. pp. 595, 596. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


173 


That policy was indeed continued under the reign of Louis 
le Debonnaire, his son and successor; and the Hebrews 
became so powerful, that their favor was courted at great 
expense even by princes. In every respect they were 
placed upon a level with their fellow-subjects. If any 
dispute arose between one of them and a Christian, three 
persons of each religion were chosen as arbiters, to settle 
the matter amicably ; if their efforts were unsuccessful, the 
case was laid before the emperor, or deputies appointed by 
him. All provincial governors and magistrates were strictly 
enjoined to give the Israelites full liberty to pass from town 
to town with their goods, and were even forbidden to exact 
any toll or custom from them. Ecclesiastics were pro¬ 
hibited from baptizing the slaves of Jewish masters without 
their permission ; and the whole people were exempted 
from the ordeals of fire and the punishment of scourging, 
except in cases where their own laws required it to be 
inflicted. The confidential adviser of Louis was his 
Hebrew physician, Zedekiah ; whose influence over the 
emperor was ascribed to magic,—of his skill in which the 
most extravagant tales are related by several of the monkish 
writers. 

We are told that the Christian inhabitants of France, 
disregarding altogether the edicts of former kings and the 
canons of councils, lived in habits of the utmost familiarity 
with the Israelites ; that they took part in their festivals, 
attended their synagogues, and even preferred the discourses 
of the rabbis to the homilies of their own clergy. But 
the most remarkable proof of the influence which the Jews 
enjoyed at this time is afforded by the failure of Agobard, 
bishop of Lyons, who attempted to revive the sentiments 
with which they had been regarded in a former age. This 
prelate witnessed with grief and displeasure the prosperity 
which they enjoyed in his city, where they possessed the 
most sumptuous edifices. He first endeavored, by pastoral 
addresses to his flock, to put a stop to that intercourse with 
them, which he deemed so scandalous ; but the Israelites, 
considering these episcopal admonitions as mfrinoang on 
15 * 


174 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


their privileges, complained to Louis, who sent orders to 
Agobard to give them no disturbance. The bishop wrote a 
letter to the emperor, justifying the part he had taken, and 
accusing the others of many flagitious practices; the 
most criminal of which was their selling Christian slaves to 
the Moors. He complained that he was an object of enmity 
to them and their partisans at court, for no other reason 
than his zealous endeavors to put an end to this nefarious 
traffic. Such an accusation deserved at least a rigorous 
inquiry ; but Agobard had already weakened his influence 
with the sovereign by the favor which he showed to his 
rebellious sons, and he now marred the effect of his just 
complaints by the importance which he attached to the most 
frivolous circumstances. As his letter produced no effect, 
he endeavored at an interview with the emperor, to induce 
him to assent to his views, but here also he entirely failed ; 
and accordingly, in his correspondence with his friends, he 
vents all the angry feelings of a man who has seen the 
dearest wishes of his heart completely blasted. 

Louis le Debonnaire was succeeded by his son, Charles the 
Bald ; and under his reign the Jews enjoyed almost as much 
favor as during that of his father. They paid indeed into 
the royal treasury a tenth part of their gains, while their 
Christian fellow-subjects paid only an eleventh ; but their 
industry prevented them from suffering much by this in¬ 
vidious distinction. It was by an Israelite, named Judah, 
probably his banker or treasurer, that Charles sent a present 
of ten pounds of silver to the cathedral of Barcelona ; and 
in the letter to the magistrates of that city, which accom¬ 
panied the donation, he mentions the testimony which the 
envoy had given him of the devotion of the Barcelonese to 
his person. Zedekiah, the physician of the late monarch, 
continued in favor at the court of his son ; and is said to 
have been bribed, by some discontented nobles to adminis¬ 
ter poison to his sovereign. After the reign of this prince, 
the kingdom of France was rent into petty principalities, 
which scarcely owned a nominal subjection to the repre¬ 
sentative of Charlemagne; and was ravaged with little 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


175 


resistance by the Normans, then the scourge of almost 
every state in Europe. It was, indeed, an age of turbu¬ 
lence and great misery ; and though history is almost silent 
with regard to the Jews, it is to be feared that they shared 
largely in the sufferings of their fellow-citizens.* They 
were accused of favoring the designs of the northern in¬ 
vaders ; and such a charge, however ill founded, was proba¬ 
bly made the pretext for legal oppression by sovereigns, and 
for lawless persecution by bigoted ecclesiastics or disorderly 
mobs. 

It must be a cause of sorrow and shame to a sincere 
Christian to reflect upon the perverse manner in which super¬ 
stition in Spain has blasted the benefits of the religion most 
favorable to civilization, and to consider that the period of 
greatest prosperity enjoyed by that unhappy country was 
during its subjection to the Moorish sway. It must like¬ 
wise occasion deep regret to remember that in the same 
country, both under the Visigothic kings who preceded the 
Mohammedan conquest, and under the modern sovereigns 
who have reigned since the re-establishment of the Chris¬ 
tian faith throughout the Peninsula, the Gospel has been 
dishonored by its intolerant professors, and rendered by their 
conduct more repulsive to the unbeliever. The descendants 
of the Spanish Jews must look back upon the era of Mus¬ 
sulman rule, as the time when their forefathers enjoyed a 
peace and prosperity, of which the children of Abraham 
have never partaken at any other period of their dispersion. 
It is customary to consider the brilliant age of the kingdoms 
of Cordova and Granada, as a cheering light amidst the 
darkness and ignorance which Europe then presented ; and 
assuredly one of the chief means by w hich the splendor of 
those sovereignties was acquired and preserved, was their 
liberal toleration granted to all religious sects. Could we 
forget the delusion of the false faith by which they were 
spell-bound, we might think with undisturbed delight of 

* Basnage, book vii. chap. iii. p. 598—GOO. Depping, p. 43—56. Beug- 
not, prem. part, p. 74—82 ; sec. part, p. 44—52. 




176 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


the wise and beneficent policy that long characterized the 
Moors, and deservedly raised their dominions to a great 
height of prosperity. We can at least recount with satis¬ 
faction, that in Spain the Jews enjoyed a long-continued 
“Age of Gold.” They were indeed sometimes harassed, 
and on one or two occasions underwent even the severity of 
persecution ; but the worst that they had to endure was 
mercy itself, when compared with the savage intolerance of 
the Visigoths. 

We have no very distinct information of the condition of 
the Hebrews in the first years of that magnificent dynasty, 
which Abderrahman, the only survivor of the Ommiaderace, 
founded at Cordova, in opposition to the Abbasside caliphate 
of Bagdad. We merely know that they shared in the gen¬ 
eral prosperity of the Moorish realm. They became re¬ 
nowned for industry and wealth ; and the unfortunate 
circumstances in which their Eastern brethren were placed, 
gave them an opportunity of acquiring distinction in learning 
also. The caliphs of Bagdad departed from the wise policy 
of their predecessors, and persecuted the Babylonian Jews : 
they even abolished the princedom of the captivity, shut up 
the schools, and dispersed the teachers. One of the most 
learned of these doctors, Rabbi Moses, with his son Enoch, 
fell into the power of a Spanish pirate. Being brought to 
Cordova they were ransomed by an Israelite, who knew not 
their distinction, but took compassion on them as evidently 
of kindred extraction. The elder rabbi one dav entered the 
synagogue in the mean attire suited to his poverty ; but 
showed such profound knowledge in the discussion of the 
questions which were started, that Nathan, the head of the 
community, declared that he would willingly abdicate his 
office in favor of the stranger. Moses was accordingly 
chosen in his room, and became the founder of a school 
which rendered Spain as famous for rabbinical learning as 
Palestine or Mesopotamia had ever been. Till his time the 
Jews in the peninsula paid very little attention to the study 
of the Talmud, but now such researches were prosecuted 
with the utmost ardor. Besides the great academy of Cor- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


177 


dova, smaller schools were established at Granada, Toledo, 
as well as other cities, and were soon crowded with enthusi¬ 
astic scholars. Rabbi Moses was succeeded by his son 
Enoch ; but after his demise, Samuel Halevi, a Spaniard by 
birth, became the head of the Cordovan seminary, and, as 
liis two predecessors were of Asiatic lineage, is by many 
writers deemed the founder of European rabbinism. The 
Caliph Hakein caused the Talmud, or more probably a 
portion of that voluminous work, to be translated into Ara¬ 
bic ; either to satisfy his own curiosity in regard to a work 
so highly venerated by the rabbis, or to diffuse the know¬ 
ledge of it more generally among his Hebrew subjects, of 
whom many were altogether ignorant of the original lan¬ 
guage. He intrusted the execution of this task to Rabbi 
Joseph ben Schatnes, who, according to some, was a pupil 
of Rabbi Moses, and the rival of Enoch ; but he is said to 
have rendered himself so unpopular among his countrymen 
by his quarrels with the latter, that he was obliged to retire 
to Damascus, where he died in exile. A great number of 
learned men adorned the Jewish community at this period of 
prosperity under the Moorish dominion. They cultivated 
every branch of literature and science that was then held in 
esteem, distinguishing themselves in theology, medicine, 
astronomy, and even poetry. Several of their works have 
been printed and translated into Latin, as also into the chief 
vernacular languages of Europe ; many more remain in 
manuscript among the literary treasures at Paris, Rome, 
and especially the Escurial. The prayers of Moses ben 
Ezra, and the hymns of Scheloino ben Gabriel ben Juda, 
are still in use among the German Israelites. But by far 
the most illustrious of these learned persons were Aben 
Ezra and Maimonides ; of whom we must speak somewhat 
more in detail. 

Aben Ezra was born at Toledo in Spain, in the year 1099. 
He was a man of most extensive learning, being well skilled 
in grammar, philosophy, astronomy and medicine. He was 
intimately acquainted with Hebrew, Chaldee, and Arabic ; 
and published many works in these learned languages. His 


173 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


style has been much admired for its elegance, conciseness, 
and perspicuity. By his countrymen he was called “ The 
Wiseand Maimonides, who was contemporary with 
Aben Ezra, held him in such high estimation, that, in a 
letter of instruction addressed to his son, he commands him 
to study the writings of Aben Ezra continually, and to study 
no others ; he regarding them as the most excellent, useful, 
elegant, learned, and abounding with sound judgment. His 
style has been said to approach nearly that of the Holy 
Scriptures, and his commentaries upon the several books of 
the Old Testament are remarkable for the learning they dis¬ 
play, and the strict manner in which the literal sense has 
been adhered to. Besides his commentaries, and other 
theological works, he composed many on grammatical 
and astronomical subjects, some of which are in print. He 
is reputed to be the inventor of the division of the celestial 
sphere by the equator. He travelled in most parts of Eu¬ 
rope, and associated with the most learned of his time. His 
works are dated at various places, from which we may 
partly learn the course of his travels. He was at Mantau in 
1145, at Rhodes in 1156, in England in 1159, and at Rome 
in 1167. He is supposed to have lived seventy-five years. 
He died at Rhodes, where he had lived some years, and gave 
orders that his bones should be buried in the Holy Land. 

His rival was a still more extraordinary character, whose 
real name was Moses ben Maimon, though he is generally 
known by the patronymic of Maimonides. He was one of 
the most celebrated Jewish writers—of an illustrious family 
at Cordova, in Spain. The date of his birth is obtained 
from the following subscription by Maimonides himself, at 
the conclusion of his Mishnic commentary, in the edition of 
Naples, 1492: —“I, Moses, son of R. Maimon, Judge, 
son of R. Joseph, the Wise, or the Doctor, son of R. Isaac, 
Judge, son of R. Joseph, Judge, son of R. Obadias, Judge, 
son of R. Salomon, teacher of R. Obadias and Judge, (may 
the memory of the saints be blessed!) began to compose the 
commentary of this book at the age of twenty-three ; and I 
finished it in Egypt when thirty years old, the seventy-ninth 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


179 


year of the Contracts.’ 5 * He went into Egypt at an early 
period of his life, and from this circumstance is frequently 
called “ Moses the Egyptian . 55 The Jews are unable to set 
bounds to the veneration in which this learned man is held: 
he is called “The Great Eagle ;” “The Eagle of the 
Doctors;” “The Great Luminary;” “The Glory of the 
East;” “The Light of the West;” and they add, that 
“ From Moses unto Moses, there arose none like until 
Moses.” This will suffice to show the very high opinion 
entertained of this celebrated man by his countrymen. 

It appears from a decree f issued by Abdelmumen ben Ali 
Alkuini, king of Cordova, that all Jews and Christians who 
refused to embrace Mohammedanism, were expelled the 
country. Mairnonides affected to embrace it, and acquiesced 
in all its customs and rites, until his affairs were sufficiently 
arranged to admit of his departure into Egypt. Upon his 
arrival at Fostat, he again professed the Jewish religion, 
and opened a school of philosophy, became a physician, and 
supported himself for a time by the produce of the sale of 
his jewels. When Alfadel Abdel Rachim ben Ali Albason 
became ruler of Egypt, he took Mairnonides under his pro¬ 
tection, and appointed him his physician, with an annual 
salary. In this character he appears to have been very con¬ 
spicuous ; for in a letter from Mairnonides to Tybbon, who 
had by letter consulted him upon some difficult points, he 
replies — “ I am so perpetually engaged, that it will be im¬ 
possible for you to reap any advantage from me, or even to 
obtain a single hour’s private conversation with me in any 
part of the four-and-twenty. I live in Egypt, the king in 
Alkaira ; which places us two Sabbath-days’ journey asun¬ 
der. My common attendance upon the king is once every 
morning : but when his majesty, his concubines, or any of 
the royal family, are the least indisposed, I am not suffered 
to stir a foot from them ; so that my whole time, you see, is 
almost spent at court. In short, I go to Alkaira every 
morning early, and if all be well there, return home about 


* Rossi Dizionario, ii. 21. 


t Casiri Bibl. Arab. Hiso. i. 293. 



180 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


noon i where, however, I no sooner arrive, than I find my 
house surrounded by many different sorts of people, Jews 
and Gentiles, rich men and poor, magistrates and mechanics, 
friends as well as enemies, who have all been waiting impa¬ 
tiently for me. As I am generally half famished upon my 
return to Alkaira, I prevail with this multitude, as well as 
I can, to suffer me to regale myself with some dinner ; and 
as soon as I have done, I attend this crowd of patients, with 
whom, what with examining into their particular maladies, 
and what with prescribing for them, I am often detained till 
it is night; and I am always so fatigued at last, that I can 
scarcely speak, or even keep myself awake. And this is 
my constant way of life,” &c. His knowledge of divinity 
was equal to his knowledge of medicine. He was learned 
in a great number of languages, and skilled in all arts and 
sciences. He was particularly eminent in mathematics. His 
works are very numerous, and although written originally 
in Arabic, Chaldee and Greek, are rarely met with but in 
Hebrew or Latin translations. 

Maimonides likewise wrote a treatise, which he called Jad 
Hazaka, or the Strong Hand *, which is an abridgment of 
the Talmud, divided into fourteen books, and forming a 
manual of the civil, criminal and canon law of the Jews. 
It is written with simplicity and elegance, and is very useful 
to those who wish to acquire a knowledge of Judaism. This 
work has been used in many of the Hebrew communities in 
the East, as a code for the direction of their judges ; and it 
has been, in part at least, translated into Latin by a convert¬ 
ed Jew of Metz. His commentary on the Mishna, and his 
Moreh Nevochim, or Guide of the Perplexed, are the most 
celebrated of his works. This is not, as some perhaps 
might imagine, a system of casuistry, like the “ Ductor Du- 
bitantium ” of Jeremy Taylor; but an explication of diffi¬ 
cult passages in the Old Testament. It was composed at the 
age of fifty, when his mind had attained its full maturity ; 
and accordingly in it he took occasion to retract same hasty 
opinions which he. had expressed in the Jad Hazaka. In 
order to make it more extensively useful, he wrote it in 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


181 


Arabic ; but it was translated into Hebrew by a learned con¬ 
temporary rabbi, Judah Alcarisi.* This version, however, 
did not meet with his approbation. The Moreh Nevochim 
was condemned by Solomon ben Abraham, chief of the 
synagogue at Montpelier, who asserted that the works of its 
author were heretical, and infected with the philosophy of 
Averroes ; he added that many of his arguments gave a 
great advantage to the Christians, and might be made use 
of to undermine his own faith. Solomon, with his disciples, 
David and Jonah, adopted harsher methods of counteracting 
his doctrines than a simple declaration of private opinion. 
They forbade the reading of his works, upon pain of excom¬ 
munication, and caused to be burnt all the copies of them 
which they could seize. On the other hand, the rabbis of 
Narbonne, Beziers, and other cities in the south of France, 
who entered the lists in defence of the accused, excommuni¬ 
cated Solomon, with his friends, for their audacity in con¬ 
demning the writings of one whom his followers had termed 
the Glory of the East and the Light of the West. A long 
dispute, characterized by fierce party spirit, ensued between 
the opponents and adherents of Maimonides ; and it was not 
till an embassy, sent into Spain to ascertain the sentiments 
of the rabbis there, had brought back a favorable report of 
his orthodoxy, that the doctors of Montpelier would confess 
themselves in the wrong. This dissension was not termi¬ 
nated till 1232, long after the death of him who had given 
occasion to it. 

In order to prevent the inculcation of false doctrine among 
his countrymen, Maimonides drew up a short confession of 
faith, consisting of thirteen articles, which is still used in 
the Hebrew schools. These are as follow : 

I. God is the creator and governor of all things. 

II. He is the only God. 

III. He is incorporeal, incomprehensible by man’s reason, 
and dissimilar from all created things. 


* The same rabbi translated Maimonides’s Commentary on the Mishna 
into Hebrew, for the benefit of the Jews of Marseilles. 

16 




182 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


IV. He is the first and the last. 

V. He alone is to be worshipped. 

VI. All the words of the prophets are true. 

VII. Moses is the father of all the wise, men previous and 
subsequent to his time ; all his prophecies are true. 

VIII. Every part of the law, at present in our hands, has 
been transmitted to us from Moses. 

IX. This law never will be changed or superseded by any 
other record of the Creator’s will. 

X. The Creator knows all the deeds and thoughts of men. 

XI. He rewards those who obey, and punishes those who 
transgress his commandments. 

XII. The Messiah will assuredly come, and his arrival 
must be waited for, however tardy it be. 

XIII. The dead will rise when it pleases the Creator. 

The author of this creed added to it an anathema against 

all who should depart from its doctrines. Such heretics 
were not merely to be excommunicated, but also to become 
the just objects of the hatred and persecution of all orthodox 
Jews. Among those fundamental articles of faith, Maimo- 
nides inculcates the belief of the resurrection from the dead ; 
but he imagined, with other rabbis, that this glorious privi¬ 
lege w r as to be limited to the pious among the Jews,—all 
the irreligious, whether nominally Israelites, or open ene¬ 
mies of the Hebrew tenets, being left in the silence of the 
grave to all eternity. He died in the year 1208, having 
completed his seventieth year. His death excited general 
grief, and he was mourned by all the synagogues of the east 
and west. Those of Cairo, Alexandria, and Jerusalem, or¬ 
dered a public mourning for three days, during which period 
a solemn fast was observed. The year in which he died has 
been called “ Lamentum lamentabile.” He was buried in 
the Holy Land.* 

Even among the Christian inhabitants of Spain, in spite 
of the jealousy and ill-will which they manifested towards 
the Jews, the professional skill of the latter w as universally 


* Rossi. Chalmers 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


183 


admired. Hebrew physicians were occasionally to be found 
at court; and it was to one of them, in the service of the 
King of Leon, that the estates of that realm applied, in 
order to dissuade their sovereign from an alliance with Arra- 
gon. The monarch was remarkable for the hastiness of his 
temper, and none of his counsellors would venture to 
remonstrate with him on that unpopular project. The 
medical attendant was selected, as possessing so much 
influence over the mind of his royal patient, that he might 
undertake with safety, and the hope of success, that task, 
from the danger of which all others recoiled. 

One of the most singular circumstances in the Spanish an¬ 
nals is the story of a fair Jewess who captivated the affec¬ 
tions of Alphonso IX. of Castile. The infatuated prince 
forgot, in the guilty embraces of his mistress, the cares of 
sovereignty, and the dangers which threatened his dominions 
alike from the Moors and Christians. Some reverses sus¬ 
tained by the Castilian arms were ascribed by the discon¬ 
tented people to the just anger of Heaven ; a tumult broke out 
in the capital ; and the insurgents penetrating into the pal¬ 
ace, massacred the unhappy lady in the presence of the king. 
The monarch was roused by this outburst of popular fury to 
a sense of the impropriety of his conduct ; he shook off the 
trammels of sloth ; and, in a well-fought battle on the 
plains of Tolosa, retrieved the tarnished honor of Castile.* 


* Basnage, book vii. chap, x p. 635. Depping, pp. 107, 108. 



184 


CHAPTER XIII. 


Iron Age of Judaism—Suppression of the Princedom of the Captivity— 
Benjamin of Tudela and Petachia—Jews in Italy—Nilus the Calabrian 
—Singular Custom at the Accession of a Pope—Synagogues of the South 
of France—Family of the Kimchi—Travels of Solomon Jarchi—The 
Jews at Beziers assaulted every Easter—Cruelties of the Crusaders— 
St. Bernard and Peter of Cluni—Philip Augustus banishes the Jews 
from France, but afterwards permits their return—Conduct of St. Louis 
—The Jews are again banished by Philip the Fair, and their property 
confiscated—Lewis Hutin permits them to return—Sanguinary Perse¬ 
cution in the south of France, which makes them happy to leave the 
Kingdom—They make a bargain with Charles the Wise, and again 
return—Final Expulsion under Charles VI.—Toleration of the Jews in 
Provence—The Jews of Castile—Alphonso the Wise—Don Joseph, a 
Jew, Treasurer to Alphonso XI.—Anecdote of a Queen of Castile— 
Jews excluded from Barcelona—Bedrasci—Don Santo—Conferences 
between Jews and Christians in Arragon—Disputation in the presence 
of the Anti-pope Benedict XIII.—Joseph Albo—Conversions effected 
by Vincent Ferrier—JNew Christians—Banishment of the Jews from 
Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella—Hardships suffered by the Exiles— 
The Portuguese Jews distinguish themselves in Commerce and Litera¬ 
ture—Printing Press established by them at Lisbon—Sufferings of the 
Jews in Portugal—They are expelled by King Manuel—Persecution of 
those who conformed to Christianity.—From A. D. 1130 to A. D. 1500. 

The consideration of the prosperity which marked the 
golden age of Judaism, has brought us down to a period of 
Moorish history, posterior, by several centuries, to the time 
when what is termed “ the Iron Age,” commenced in the 
East. We have already alluded to the persecution which 
drove Rabbi Moses from Mesopotamia, and proved the 
means of establishing a flourishing school in Spain. But, 
previously to the storm which burst upon them, the Babylo¬ 
nian Jews had been distracted by internal dissensions. 
About the middle of the tenth century, David ben Soccai, 
the Prince of the Captivity, who was of a haughty and 
turbulent temper, is said to have taken advantage of the 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


185 


weakness of the Caliph Moktader to assume privileges tc 
which the Jewish rulers were not legally entitled. He also 
embroiled himself with the rabbis by his very unwise inter¬ 
ference. A vacancy having occurred in the presidentship 
of the academy of Sora, he named Om Tob, an obscure indi¬ 
vidual, to supply it. This person soon displayed his utter 
incompetency for the situation which had been conferred 
upon him ; and Rabbi Saadiah, a doctor of great renown, 
was summoned from Egypt, to redeem the lost reputation of 
the seminary. He taught with great success; but, not 
long after his arrival, the prince quarreled with him, be¬ 
cause he would not obey an illegal order which he had 
given, and even threatened him with the loss of his head. 
The pupils espoused the cause of their master; and the 
rabbi, emboldened by their support, retaliated upon the 
prince by excommunicating him, and transferring his dignity 
to his brother Joseph. This unseemly contest lasted several 
years ; in the course of which, Saadiah was obliged to flee 
from his school, and retire to a place of security, where 
he remained during a time sufficient to enable him to com¬ 
pose several works of great reputation. He afterwards 
issued from his retreat, and was reconciled to the prince. 
So sincere was the friendship which now ensued between 
tw r o men formerly so bitterly opposed, that the rabbi became 
the guardian of David’s grandson when early left an orphan. 
Some time after this, it appears that Scherira filled at once 
the offices of Prince of the Captivity, and head of the acade¬ 
my at Pherutz Schabur, a city in Mesopotamia, where the 
Jews are said, by an extravagant hyperbole, to have 
amounted to the number of nine hundred thousand. This 
professor, who taught during thirty years, and distinguished 
himself by his zeal against the Christians, wrote a great 
deal in controversy w ith the monks, whom he stigmatized 
by the opprobrious appellation of forgers. Finding himself 
sinking under the weight of years, he associated with him in 
his dignities his son Hai, wffio well supported his hereditary 
reputation. He w r rote on various subjects, and acquired so 
great distinction, that men came from all quarters to consult 
16 * 


186 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


him. He is reckoned the last of the Gaonim or Illustrious. 
In the midst of his fame, he and his father, now upwards 
of one hundred years old, were seized by order of the 
Caliph Kader, who had been excited to this violence by the 
reports which he heard of their great wealth. Scherira 
was hanged ; but Hai had the good fortune to escape, and 
was even suffered to return to his school, where he taught 
unmolested till his death. Hezekiah, the next and the last 
Prince of the Captivity, had held his dignity only two 
years, when, with his whole family, he was arrested by 
order of the caliph. He was deprived of life, and with him 
terminated the long line of Babylonian rulers. At the same 
time, the celebrated Mesopotamian academies were finally 
shut, and rabbinical learning was constrained to seek a 
retreat in the west of Europe.* 

In the following century, the Eastern Jew r s were visited 
by two European travellers of their own faith, Benjamin of 
Tudela, and Petachia of Ratisbon.f They found a consider¬ 
able number of Israelites still residing beyond the Euphra¬ 
tes, notwithstanding the persecutions which they had under¬ 
gone ; but though they had a few petty schools among 
them, the glory of their great academies had departed for¬ 
ever, and their cities were marked only by ruins. 

Few traces are to be found in history of the state of the 
Jews in Palestine at this period. They have never ceased 
to look with reverence to that land where their ancestors 
were so long blessed w r ith the favor of the Most High ; and 
in the writings of their rabbis are still to be found the most 
extravagant opinions respecting the benefit which may be 
derived from a residence in Jerusalem or Judea. Yet at 
the time when the travellers above mentioned visited the 
Holy Land, there were very few in it who professed the 
Hebrew faith. In Jerusalem, Benjamin found only two 
hundred of his countrymen, who for the most part were 
engaged in dyeing wool, and possessed a monopoly of the 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. iv. pp. 602, 603. 

f Baspage, book vii. chap. vii. p. 617—625. Depping, p. 156—165. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


187 


trade, for which they annually paid a certain sum of money 
Petachia, who travelled a few years later, says that he saw 
in the Holy City only a single Israelite, the rabbi Abraham 
Hakaba, who had purchased permission to reside there at a 
heavy price. It is not easy to reconcile these different ac¬ 
counts of two persons, at periods so nearly contemporary, 
except by supposing, either that the one speaks only of the 
rabbis or learned Jews, when he mentions Hakaba as the 
sole representative of the posterity of Abraham ; or that 
some outbreak of fanaticism on the part of the Christians 
(who had conquered the holy city in the First Crusade) had 
prompted them to expel the company of dyers whom the 
other found there. At Tiberias, Benjamin says that there 
were no more than fifty ; and the only things at that time 
remarkable in this former seat of rabbinical erudition were 
its excellent waters and hot baths. In other cities of Syria 
and Palestine equally small numbers of Jews were to be 
found. Samaritans occupied Sichem or Naplous, and inter¬ 
married only among themselves. 

The same traveller tells marvellous stories of what he 
saw in Egypt. He states that there were no fewer than 
thirty thousand Jews in a city called Kouts, the situation of 
which is not known. It has been objected to him, as a 
strong ground for suspecting the authenticity of his narra¬ 
tive, that he makes no mention of Maimonides, who is said 
to have been then in high favor at the Egyptian court, as 
the sultan’s physician. But we know not the exact period 
at which that illustrious rabbi retired thither; and it is prob¬ 
able that it was after the time of the traveller’s arrival. 

In the territories of the Byzantine empire, Benjamin 
found but few of his brethren. Even in the vast city of 
Constantinople there were only two thousand, chiefly silk- 
weavers and merchants. Besides these, there were five 
hundred Karaites, who were separated from their countrymen 
by a high wall, so jealous were they of the vicinity of those 
whom they abhorred as heretics. Although the emperor’s 
physician was a Jew, and did all he could to protect those of 
his own nation, he was unable to prevent the inswlts daily 


188 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


offered to them by the superstitious and fanatical Greeks 
They were not allowed to reside within the city ; and if they 
entered it on any occasion, they were liable to be attacked 
by the mob, who beat them, pelted them with filth of all 
kinds, and testified, by every means in their power, the 
utmost contempt and abhorrence for the forlorn descendants 
of Abraham. 

But the ill treatment experienced by them at Constanti¬ 
nople was trifling, when compared with the atrocities which 
disgraced many countries of Europe in this dark period of 
history. Kings and princes seemed to vie with one another 
in the desire of distinguishing themselves by the most hor¬ 
rible persecution of the unhappy Israelites ; and they who 
professed to be ministers of the Gospel of peace and love, 
instead of endeavoring to mitigate the ferocity of the laity, 
exulted in it, praising it as an indisputable mark of religious 
principle. Amidst the miserable delusions which abounded 
in that age of ignorance, none was more common or more 
fatal than the belief, that the expression of hatred against 
the enemies of Christianity was a certain evidence of being 
actuated by its spirit. It was this which in a great measure 
prompted the fanatical follies of the Crusades; for men 
believed that the slaying of the Saracens in the open field, 
or even in cold blcjod, would establish their title to rank 
among the noblest ornaments of the church. Besides, 
those who wanted the valor or the opportunity to distin¬ 
guish themselves by warring for the recovery of the Holy 
Land, could acquire the same kind of reputation, in scarcely 
an inferior degree, by persecuting the unresisting Hebrews 
who dwelt every where among them. 

Italy was, for the most part, distinguished by an honora¬ 
ble exception to this atrocious spirit ; and her annals at that 
period afford few examples of those persecutions which dis¬ 
graced nearly all the other states of Europe. But we 
should pay too high a compliment to the Italians of the 
middle ages, did we suppose that this absence of persecu¬ 
tion arose from any clearer perception of the genuine 
spirit of«the Gospel than was manifested by other nations. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


189 


The true cause, probably, was the insignificance of the few 
Israelites who inhabited the country ; for although the city 
of Genoa was a place remarkable for commerce and wealth, 
Benjamin of Tudela found there only twenty Hebrews. 
Although the Italian Jews doubtless possessed all the in¬ 
dustry and love of gain which characterized their brethren 
in other lands, they had to compete with men as active and 
indefatigable as themselves, in the merchants of the various 
republics which shed such a lustre upon the history of this 
period. The Lombards had already engaged in the prac¬ 
tice of usury wffiich formed one of the chief sources of 
wealth to the Jews. At that epoch legal interest rose so 
high as twenty or twenty-five per cent. ; and in secret, even 
more exhorbitant sums were exacted by those w ho knew how 
to profit by the necessities of their debtors. As the Chris¬ 
tians thus supplanted them in those lucrative employments, 
which drew down upon the Jews the jealousy and avarice 
of other states, the descendants of Abraham were con¬ 
strained to betake themselves to humbler occupations ; but 
though thus kept poor, they in general enjoyed complete 
security. 

One of the most singular circumstances which occur in 
the history of these times, is recorded by the monkish 
biographer of St. Nilus the Calabrian. A Hebrew mer¬ 
chant, when returning from a journey, had been assassi¬ 
nated by a young man, whose motive is not recorded ; and 
the murderer being seized, was delivered up to the Jews of 
the town, who announced their intention of putting him to 
death by crucifixion. But Nilus, being informed of the 
circumstances of the case, opposed the execution of the 
sentence, affirming that it was illegal, because the life of a 
Christian was valued by the law as equivalent to that of 
seven Israelites. We are told that the accusers acquiesced 
in this statement, and desisted from their intention to put 
the criminal to death. There are many better things record¬ 
ed of Nilus, than this enforcement of a law which did so 
little honor to either party.* 


* Depping, p. 151. 




190 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


In Italy, as well as elsewhere, the professors of Judaism 
were occasionally exposed to violent ebullitions of popular 
fury. Thus, at Chieti, there was a custom of administering 
justice to them every year at Easter, and, in return for this 
privilege, they paid a certain sum to the revenues of the 
state. On one occasion they were assembled as usual for 
this purpose, when a new convert, who was indebted to one 
of them, began to quarrel with his creditor, and affirmed 
that, three years before, he and some other Jews had made 
a waxen image to represent our Savior, and had vented 
their hatred by piercing it through in every direction. The 
mob immediately seized the accused, maltreated them, and 
pulled down their synagogue. But at Rome, the centre of 
papal power, they were by no means treated with that 
cruelty and oppression which we might have supposed. 
There, as in Venice, Ferrara, Salermo, and some other 
Italian cities, they inhabited a separate quarter ; but this 
might be as much a measure of protection as of invidious 
distinction. At one time, the Roman Jews were in posses¬ 
sion of considerable wealth, derived either from their pur¬ 
suit of banking or from an extensive commerce with the 
East, whence they brought spices of various kinds, silks, 
cotton stuffs, and similar commodities. But these branches 
of industry were afterwards engrossed by the enterprising 
inhabitants of Venice and Genoa. From the year 1119 to 
the present time, the Jews at Rome have practised a sin¬ 
gular custom, which some may regard as a privilege, while 
others may consider it as an insult. At the accession of 
every pope, they approach his presence, and offer him a 
copy of the law. The pontiff accepts their homage, and 
has a set reply ready for them. According to the rubric, 
it is as follows: — “I reverence the law, which you have 
received from God by Moses ; but I condemn your explana¬ 
tions of it, because you wait for the Messiah, which the 
Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church believes to be Jesus 
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and 
the Holy Ghost! ” * 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. x. p. 634. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


191 


When Benjamin of Tudela visited that capital, he found 
there two hundred of his people ; who, as he informs us, 
enjoyed the privilege of being exempted from tribute. A 
rabbi, Jehiel by name, was treasurer to the pope, and it was 
probably through his protection that they enjoyed this favor. 
Although the Italian Jews were at this time by no means 
remarkable for learning, there were some distinguished 
rabbis among those who dwelt in the metropolis ; of whom 
may be mentioned Nathan ben Zakiel, who was the head of 
the synagogue in that city, and died in 1106. He drew up a 
dictionary of the words contained in the Talmud, in the 
Targum, or ancient Chaldean translation of the Old Testa¬ 
ment, aud the Midsachiin, or allegorical commentary. This 
work, the result of immense labor, was entitled by him 
Aruch or arrangement, and was one of the first books 
printed by the Jews, when, as we shall afterwards see, they 
established various printing-presses throughout Italy. 

Passing from thence to France, a much more gloomy 
scene meets our view. Here they were subjected to the 
most atrocious persecution, as their wealth excited a desire 
of plundering them, which their peaceful habits rendered it 
safe to gratify. Princes, nobles, clergy and people, alike 
testified by persecution their hatred of the unfortunate 
Israelites. But before we enter upon the sad story of their 
misfortunes, we may say a few words about the distinguished 
men who shed a lustre over the south of France, and almost 
enabled it to rival in rabbinical reputation the land of Aben 
Ezra and Maimonides. The synagogues in that district 
were numerous and flourishing. That of Narbonne, which 
was the most renowned, was, from its antiquity and au¬ 
thority, denominated cc the mistress of the law.” Its chief 
rabbi received, at least from his countrymen, the title of 
king ; and it was even alleged that this appellation had been 
given him by Charlemagne, to whose court the Narbonnese 
synagogue had sent a deputation. 

The most distinguished of the French rabbis were the 
family of the Kimchi, who flourished at the establishment 
just described. Joseph, (one of their number,) wrote a 


192 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


commentary on part of the Old Testament, compiled a He¬ 
brew grammar, and composed hymns for the use of the syn¬ 
agogues , but none of his works have ever been published, 
though several copies of them are to be found in the greater 
libraries of Europe. His son Moses, also a learned man, 
wrote a grammar, entitled Mahalak Scevile Addaath, or An 
Introduction to the Paths of Knowledge, which has been 
several times given to the public in a printed form. But 
both these rabbis were far surpassed in science and reputation 
by David, the second son of the former, who has been styled 
by the Jews “ The Prince of Grammarians.” It was he 
who was despatched by their community to obtain the ver¬ 
dict of their Spanish brethren with regard to the orthodoxy 
of Maimonides. He found no opposition to the opinions of 
that great man from any of the rabbis, except Ben Joseph 
Alfakar, the head of the synagogue at Toledo, a person 
remarkable for eminence in medicine, and a bitter enemy to 
the author whose opinions were submitted to his judgment. 
The dexterous management of Kimchi at length brought 
over this obstinate opponent ; and the rabbis gave that 
unanimous approbation of the dogmas of Maimonides which 
confounded his violent antagonists at Montpelier. The 
same David distinguished himself at once as a theologian 
and a philologist. His chief works are his grammar, his 
lexicon of the Hebrew language, and his commentaries upon 
various portions of the Old Testament.* The treatise on 
the Psalms has been especially esteemed both by Jews and 
Christians, and is found translated into several of the lan¬ 
guages of Europe. His father was a bitter enemy to the 
church, but he himself speaks of believers with greater 
moderation. 

An equally celebrated name is that of Solomon, the son 
of Isaac ; better known by the patronymic Jarchi, Zarchi, 
or Raschi. He was born at Troyes in Champagne, about 
the year 1105, and belonged to a family which had already 

* His exposition of the prophet Zachariah has lately been translated 
and published by the Rev. Dr. M’Call, formerly a missionary to the Jews, 
and one of the best Hebrew scholars in Britain. 





HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


1P3 


produced some eminent men. From his childhood he dis¬ 
tinguished himself by his thirst for knowledge. He studied 
under the learned teachers of Southern France, especially 
Moses Hadarshan of Narbonne, surnained “ the Preacher,” 
from the excellence of his discourses ; and Zerachia, called 
<£ the Spaniard,” from the place of his birth, but at that 
time likewise established at Narbonne. In a few years he 
made himself master of the various commentaries and 
theological works of the different rabbinical schools; and, 
not content with these acquirements, he paid great attention 
to the study of philosophy, which he learned from the 
work of the principal Greek writers, probably through 
the medium of Arabic versions. At the age of thirty he 
had composed a commentary on the Bible and the Talmud. 
Resolving then to visit the Jewish communities in the 
East, he passed through Italy, Greece, Palestine and 
Egypt; where he for some time remained as a pupil of 
Maimonides, who having conceived a very high idea of his 
abilities, treated him with great kindness. He next re¬ 
paired to Persia, whence he returned homewards ; and after 
having traversed the intermediate countries, he arrived at 
Prague in Bohemia. Here he was welcomed as a man 
whose fame was diffused throughout the world ; but the 
pleasure of the Jews at his arrival was soon turned into 
mourning. The Christian inhabitants of the city alleged 
that Jarchi was another Bar-cochab, a pretender to the 
sacred title of the Messiah ; and that he was enthusiastically 
received by his brethren in that capacity. Uladislas, the 
Duke of Bohemia, was by no means favorably disposed 
towards the Israelites, and this false report roused all the 
evil passions of his nature against them. He caused the 
stranger to be arrested, and brought before him for examin¬ 
ation ; having as his assessors the bishop of Olmutz, and a 
favorite of his own, named Narzerad, who being much in 
debt to the Jews, endeavored to avoid payment by instiga¬ 
ting his sovereign to the expulsion or massacre of his credi¬ 
tors. He wished to begin with Jarchi, as the most celebra¬ 
ted of their number, and as already much hated by the 
17 


194 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


duke, an account of that report, which he maliciously took 
every opportunity of confirming. While Uladislas had such 
a counsellor, the prisoner was likely to meet with little 
mercy ; and he was about to be put to the torture, when the 
bishop fixing his eyes on him, recognized in his person the 
physician who had saved his life when in the holy land upon 
a pilgrimage, and attacked by a most dangerous disease. 
He immediately related the story to his sovereign, who w as 
now somewhat ashamed of the suspicions he had entertained 
of the learned rabbi, and ordered him to be set at libertv. 
But the populace, upon seeing him arrested, concluding that 
their ruler would tolerate, at least, if he did not approve, 
any violence of which they might be guilty towards the 
Jews, had already begun to attack the quarter of the city 
where they lived. The tumultuary shouts reached the 
ducal palace ; and Jarchi, falling on his knees, earnestly 
besought his highness to extend protection to his unfortu¬ 
nate brethren. The prince at once complied with his re¬ 
quest, and granted to him an edict of safety ; in virtue of 
which, he had the inexpressible pleasure of delivering his 
friends from the ferocious multitude, who but for this inter¬ 
position, might have massacred them on the spot. Uladis¬ 
las, after this, bestowed several marks of his favor on the 
traveller ; but this learned expositor is said to have been 
murdered soon afterwards at the instigation of Narzerad, 
who took advantage of an accidental absence of the duke to 
effect his atrocious design. Another account states that he 
left Prague, and died long after at Treves. One of the 
most celebrated of his works is the commentary on the Pen¬ 
tateuch, which is much esteemed, and was among the first 
Hebrew books published after the invention of printing. 
He had a grandson, named Jacob Tham, who wrote several 
theological pieces, particularly one entitled, “ The Book of 
the Justbut his reputation was very much inferior to that 
of his grandfather.* 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. viii. p. 630. Depping, p. 109—120. Beug- 
not, pp. 88—91, 113—116. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


195 


We turn from these details to the less grateful task of re¬ 
cording the sufferings to which the unhappy Israelites were 
subjected in France. The most horrid stories were told and 
believed, of their poisoning the fountains, stealing young 
children in order to crucify them, and treating indecently the 
sacramental elements, which they contrived, in one way or 
another, to purloin from the churches. Such rumors exci¬ 
ted the lower classes against them ; and they who, from 
birth or station, ought to have discountenanced and re¬ 
pressed their outrages, too frequently encouraged, or at 
least connived at them. The Jews were especial objects of 
hatred and insult during the ceremonies of the Easter week ; 
for, with the lamentably erroneous spirit of the times, the 
misguided multitude thought that they were doing a service 
to the Redeemer, whose sufferings they then commemora¬ 
ted, by persecuting the descendants of those who had nailed 
him to the cross. Thus, at Beziers, every year on Palm 
Sunday, the bishop mounted the pulpit of the cathedral, and 
addressed the people to the following effect:—“You have 
among you, my brethren, the descendants of the impious 
wretches who crucified the Lord Jesus Christ, whose pas¬ 
sion we are soon to commemorate. Show yourselves 
animated with the spirit of your ancestors; arm yourselves 
with stones, assail the Jews with them, and thus, as far as 
in you lies, revenge the sufferings of that Savior who re¬ 
deemed you with his own blood. 35 He then gave his 
blessing to the multitude, already well enough inclined to 
obey his injunctions, and they immediately rushed with the 
utmost fury against the houses of the Israelites, to attack 
them in the manner which the prelate had enjoined. The 
Jews, on the other hand, were allowed to defend themselves 
with the same missiles which their Christian fellow-citizens 
employed against them ; and hence the city was kept in a 
constant state of disturbance by the contest between the two 
parties, until Easter day, when the riotous proceedings must 
necessarily cease. Many persons were usually killed or 
wounded on both sides. This shameful custom was at 
length prohibited by Raymond, viscount of Beziers, in 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


196 

1160, who engaged to protect the Jews from such insults, 
upon the payment of an annual tribute. 

The periods of the several crusades were very fatal to the 
same people. Those who were actuated by the supersti¬ 
tious and fanatical spirit which then prevailed, could not be 
expected to listen to the voice of reason or humanity, which 
might have stayed their hand from persecution. A number 
of persons who had assembled at Rouen for the purpose of 
joining in the first expedition, bethought themselves of a 
massacre of the Jews, as a proper means of beginning to 
imbrue their hands in infidel blood. “ We are going,” said 
they, “ to march towards the East in order to avenge the 
cause of God upon his enemies, but we are leaving behind 
as a race of people as hateful in His sight as any of the 
unbelieving Saracens. Let us commence our holy work by 
putting them to the sword.” Both in France and in the 
north of Germany, the most horrid cruelties were practised 
upon them by the fanatics who joined in this crusade. To 
save themselves from falling into the hands of their enraged 
enemies, many of the Jews murdered their wives and chil¬ 
dren, and then slew themselves ; while others made a pro¬ 
fession of Christianity, and submitted to baptism, as the 
only method of saving their lives. At Spires, they were 
fortunate enough to gain the protection of the bishop, who 
defended them from injury. A contemporary historian, who 
could find no other way of explaining the conduct of the 
prelate, which he deemed most unchristian, supposes that 
he must have been bribed by the Israelites to exercise a sim¬ 
ple act of humanity towards them! We may remark, that 
the monkish annalists, with scarcely a single exception, 
record these disgraceful deeds as innocent at least, if not 
praiseworthy, thus showing that they were not superior to 
the spirit of their age. 

When, half a century later, preparations were made for 
the Second Crusade, equal atrocities were perpetrated in 
the same countries ; a fanatical monk, named Rodolph, hav¬ 
ing excited the people against the Jews. His exhortations 
were attended with success, and torrents of blood were 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


197 


offered up in impious sacrifice to the God of mercy. It is to 
the honor of St. Bernard, himself a great supporter of this 
enterprise, that he wrote to the bishops of Franconia and 
Bavaria, requesting them to put an end to those barbarities, 
and even repaired in person to Germany, to use his influence 
with Rodolph to stay these horrible proceedings. He was 
met with heavy complaints of the usury and rapacity of the 
sufferers ; but w r hile he condemned those acts of extortion, 
he added that he knew of many Christians who rivalled 
them in their nefarious practices. Peter, of Cluni, surnamed 
the Venerable, the friend of Abelard, and a man, generally 
speaking, of a mild and amiable character, was also opposed 
to the massacreing of the Jews, but thought it perfectly 
allowable to despoil them of the wealth which they had 
acquired by fraudulent means. He even recommended this 
spoliation in a letter addressed to Louis VII. of France, 
who happily had too much sense or principle to comply with 
his injunction, and allowed the accused to remain unmo¬ 
lested during his reign. For this wise policy he is censured 
by a contemporary annalist, who adds, that it was the only 
fault with which he could be reproached throughout his long 
life. Posterity will probably be unanimous in thinking, that 
the countenance given by the French monarch to the Second 
Crusade, in which he himself joined, is a far greater blot on 
his memory than the protection which he afforded to his 
Hebrew subjects. 

At the beginning of the reign of Philip Augustus, the son 
of Louis VII., in the year 1180, the Jews throughout 
France were in a very prosperous condition, being the 
richest class of people in the kingdom. A great number of 
persons of all orders were indebted to them, and the enor¬ 
mous usury which they exacted for their loans excited the 
hatred of their debtors. The ear of the king was beset 
with complaints of their extortion, their sacrilegious receiv¬ 
ing of church plate in pledge, and the atrocities which they 
practised in secret. They w r ere accused at one time of 
killing all the swine in a province by their enchantments, 
and at another of putting a man to death with all the insults 
17* 


108 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


to which our Savior had been subjected before his cruci¬ 
fixion. On hearing of this latter circumstance, Philip has¬ 
tened to the spot where it was said to have happened ; seized 
all the Jews who resided there, to the number of above 
eighty ; and without listening to any thing which the miser¬ 
able beings could say in their defence, ordered them to be 
burnt alive. His treatment of the Israelites in other parts 
of his dominions was less horrible, but equally unjust. In 
1811, he confiscated all their unmoveable property, ordered 
them to dispose of their goods, and to leave the kingdom 
within a very limited period. He extinguished all debts due 
to them, with the exception of a fifth part, which he com¬ 
manded to be paid to himself. Many of the barons and 
bishops, from motives of self-interest, endeavored to dissuade 
his majesty from carrying his edict into effect; but in vain, 
for the fanaticism of the inferior clergy and the populace 
united with the avarice of Philip to frustrate their efforts. 
Except in the southern parts of the kingdom, where the 
sovereign had less power than elsewhere, the decree was 
rigorously enforced. A monkish historian observes, that the 
year marked by these events ought to be regarded as a jubi¬ 
lee, because the Christians in France recovered their liberty, 
of which they had every where been despoiled by their 
Hebrew creditors. 

Yet, some years afterwards, the Jews were permitted by 
the same king to return into his realm. The hope of profit 
induced them once more to settle in a country where they 
had lately experienced such barbarous treatment ; and the 
necessities of the monarch probably made it convenient for 
him to have so industrious a body of subjects within his 
power, whom he might cause to contribute to his treasury 
either by an annual tribute, or by less regular extortions. 
They were, no doubt, in some degree constrained to aban¬ 
don various branches of trade, by the clamors raised against 
their conduct in the prosecution of them. If they sold 
milk, they were accused of imposing on the buyers that of 
their wives ; if they were butchers, the people said that 
they reserved all the best parts of the meat for those of their 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


199 


own religion, and sold only the refuse to the Christians ; if 
they cultivated the grape, as they did in Burgundy, their 
wine was alleged to be execrably bad,—and the clergy had 
very great scruples about using in the administration of the 
Lord’s Supper, a liquor prepared by infidel hands. Being 
thus shut out from other methods of subsistence, they betook 
themselves almost exclusively to usury ; and by the exaction 
of an enormous rate of interest, occasioned a general exas- 
peration against them. In order to prevent the injustice to 
which debtors were frequently subjected by their craft, 
Philip Augustus, in 1206, enacted that the legal interest 
should be only two derniers upon the livre weekly, which, 
however, would amount to upwards of forty per cent, per 
annum. Even this proved insufficient to satisfy the cupidity 
of the Jews, and they accordingly endeavored to evade the 
law, by obliging their debtors to engage to pay them the 
legal interest for a larger sum than was actually borrowed. 
This practice became so common as to call forth another 
enactment on the part of the same fnonarch, strictly forbid¬ 
ding it, and requiring that no creditor should demand, and 
no debtor promise, on any pretext, a higher rate than what 
had previously been fixed by the law. The king began to 
derive a considerable portion of his revenue from the sums 
levied on these money-changers, for the liberty of residing 
within his dominions, and practising their gainful profession. 
If he had listened to the request of his clergy, he would not 
have suffered them to dwell within his realm : for he had 
the utmost difficulty in preventing the excommunication of 
those who entered into their service, or even trafficked with 
them. Pope Innocent the Third likewise wrote to Philip, 
remonstrating with him on the excessive favor which he 
showed to this unbelieving nation. Some years after, the 
same pontiff again addressed his majesty,* requesting that 
those who were about to engage in the crusade against the 
Albigenses should be freed from all obligation to pay the 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. x. p. 637. Depping, p. 127—141. Beugnot, 

prem. part, p. 84—90, sec. part, p. 160—164. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


203 

interest of their debts, and only be required to refund the 
capital when they should find it convenient. 

Louis VIII., the son and successor of Philip, by a sweep¬ 
ing act of injustice, prohibited all interest in future upon 
debts owing to Jews ; and declared null and void all agree¬ 
ments between debtor and creditor which were dated more 
than five years back. Other borrowers were bound to pay 
the capital within three years, at three instalments each 
year. 

In 1226, this monarch was succeeded by his son Louis 
IX., commonly known by the name of Saint Louis, one of 
the most upright of men, but unhappily a slave to the super¬ 
stition which darkened his age. He had the utmost aversion 
to the Israelites, as the enemies of Christ, and as the prac¬ 
tises of usury, which he conscientiously believed to be 
unlawful ; sentiments which induced him in various ways to 
harass and persecute them. At one time he forbade them to 
practise usury at all, and gave orders that they should apply 
themselves to other employments. Pope Gregory IX. had 
issued a bull, prohibiting any person from reading the Tal¬ 
mud, as an impious book, and authorizing the burning of all 
copies of it which could be found. Louis zealously sup¬ 
ported the pontiff in this decree, and four-and-twenty cart¬ 
loads of rabbinical volumes were committed to the flames at 
Paris. His majesty, on one occasion, remitted a third of all 
debts due to Jews ; on another, before his departure to the 
Holy Land on a crusade, he banished some of them from the 
kingdom, and confiscated their property. He showed the 
greatest kindness to converts from Judaism, maintaining 
them at his own expense, and, when they died, granting 
pensions to their widows and children. In his .reign the 
populace rose against the hated tribes at various times, and 
insulted them in Paris, Orleans, and other places. The 
councils held in various parts of France testified by their 
decrees a deep abhorrence of the Israelites ; they even went 
the length of forbidding Christians to have any pecuniary 
transactions with them, upon pain of excommunication. 
One council prohibited all recourse to Hebrew physicians, 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


201 


thinking probably that they performed their cures by means 
of communication with evil spirits, or by other unlawful 
arts. 

During the reign of Philip the Hardy, who ascended in 
1721, this unfortunate people were not exposed to any san¬ 
guinary persecution ; but he renewed the statutes of his 
predecessors against them, and added some vexatious re¬ 
strictions, such as prohibiting them from possessing more 
than one synagogue and cemetary in each diocese, and en¬ 
joining them to abstain from certain meats during Lent. 
Philip the Fair at first seemed somewhat more favorable, 
and protected them against the Inquisition. But being of 
a violent character, and besides greatly in need of money, he 
ordered them all, in 1306, to leave the kingdom, and confis¬ 
cated their property. This expulsion is considered by their 
descendants as one of the heaviest calamities that ever afflict¬ 
ed their nation. Only a very few could elude the avarice 
of the tyrant, by intrusting their effects to such Christians 
as felt themselves bound in honor to fulfil their engagements 
even to unbelievers. Some contrived to find their way back 
secretly into the kingdom ; but a second edict five years 
later again obliged them to depart. Louis X., the son and 
successor of Philip, gave them permission to return, yield¬ 
ing, as his ordinance says, to the general desires of his 
people, who, with all their hatred to the Jews, found them 
so useful in pecuniary transactions, that they solicited their 
recall. The king, however, made them pay dearly for this 
indulgence ; for, while he ordered all their debtors to fulfil 
their engagements, he appropriated two thirds of the sums 
to himself, leaving only one third to the rightful creditors. 
The next sovereign, Philip the Long, was favorable to them, 
and bestowed some privileges upon their body ; but in his 
reign, nevertheless, they were the victims of popular fanati¬ 
cism. In 1320, a great multitude of shepherds and peasants, 
headed by a priest, traversed France from one extremity to 
the other, with some vague intention, (as it is asserted) of 
setting out on a crusade to the Holy Land. At all events, 
they showed themselves actuated by the fiercest spirit of 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


ooo 

hostility against the unhappy Israelites, whom they plunder¬ 
ed and massacred. At Verdun the latter for some time 
defended themselves desperately in a castle ; and when the 
assailants, setting fire to the gates, forced their way in, they 
found the defenders all lying dead, for, rather than fall into 
the power of such ferocious enemies, they had laid violent 
hands on themselves. Even the pope was unable to protect 
them at Avignon ; his anathemas were disregarded, and the 
shepherds continued to pursue their seditious course, until 
they were finally checked by the ravages of disease, as well 
as by the troops which the government was obliged to send 
against them. A Jewish author assures us that one hundred 

o 

and twenty communities of his brethren in the south of 
France were destroyed by these fanatical miscreants. In 
the following year a pestilence broke out, and a report was 
spread that it was occasioned by the same proscribed people, 
who had bribed the lepers to poison the fountains and rivers. 
Absurd as this rumor was, it was readily believed, and some 
of these last were put to the torture, who in their agonies 
confessed the crime imputed to them. This acknowledg¬ 
ment was the signal for a horrible persecution. Many were 
burnt alive, by which cruel mode of punishment it is said 
that at Chinon alone one hundred and sixty persons perished. 
The king, forgetting his previous moderation, availed him¬ 
self of the general odium to confiscate their property, by 
which he acquired a large treasure. His successor, Charles 
the Fair, after exacting a considerable sum from the surviv¬ 
ors, allowed them to leave the kingdom ;* which, probably, 
they were anxious to do, in order to escape the danger of 
such sufferings as they had lately endured. 

During the reigns of the two next kings, Philip the Sixth 
and John, France was subjected to the greatest calamities 
by the invasion of Edward III. of England, who laid claim 
to the throne. At the battle of Poictiers, in 1856, John was 
made prisoner by the Black Prince, and detained in captivity 


* Basnage, hook vii. chap, xviii. p. 672—675. Depping, pp. 185—191,222 
—230, 245—253. Beugnot, prem. part, p. 90—110. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


203 


several years ; during which period the affairs of the realm 
were managed by his son Charles, whose prudent adminis¬ 
tration gained him the surname of the Wise. The Jews 
made a treaty with him through the medium of Manassch 
or Menociar de Yesou, a banker, who had advanced money 
to the dauphin in his necessities,—a compact which was 
ratified by the king after his return from captivity. They 
were to be allowed to remain in the country twenty years ; 
in return for which indulgence they engaged to pay, at their 
entrance, fourteen florins for each man and his wife, one 
florin two tournois for each child and servant, besides an 
annual tribute of seven florins for each man and woman, and 
one florin for each child and servant. By making these 
payments they were to be exempted from all other taxation ; 
to obtain perfect freedom to pursue any course of industry ; 
to be exempted from baronial jurisdiction ; and only to be 
under the control of an officer, styled the guardian of the 
Jews, appointed by the king himself. The first person 
nominated to this important function was the Count d 5 
Etampes, a prince of the blood. The rate of interest was 
fixed at four deniers the livre weekly, which was double the 
amount permitted by Philip Augustus ; and they might re¬ 
ceive anything in pledge, except the vessels of the church 
and laborers* tools. The treaty contained various other 
articles, all of them equally favorable to the Jews, who 
seemed thus at length to be amply indemnified for their 
many sufferings and insults. Their season of prosperity, 
however, was short, for towards the end of the reign of 
Charles the Wise, they were attacked in Paris by the popu¬ 
lace, who slew some of them, pillaged the rest, and obliged 
many of the women to give up their infants to be baptized. 
Aubriot, the provost of the city, a wise and enlightened 
man, to whom the French metropolis is indebted for several 
of its finest buildings, obtained an edict from the king, which 
obliged the rioters to restore the children they had taken 
away, and return the goods which they had stolen. Not 
ong after, this upright magistrate was accused by the uni¬ 
versity, with which he had a dispute, of a secret leaning 


204 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


towards Judaism; and through the influence of the arch¬ 
bishop of Paris he was condemned to imprisonment. Such, 
in the fourteenth century, was the reward of a simple act 
of justice, exerted in behalf of the despised and calumniated 
Israelites! 

In the earlier part of the reign of Charles the Sixth, the 
Jews succeeded in obtaining from that feeble sovereign seve¬ 
ral privileges, which proved very oppressive to their debtors. 
Untaught by their previous misfortunes, they continued to 
exact, with the utmost rigor, the enormous rate of usury 
which was allowed, and thereby once more excited the pop¬ 
ular fury against them. Their wise counsellor, Manasseh 
of Vesou, was dead ; and his family enjoyed the same con¬ 
sideration at court which he had received, though this 
proved of little advantage to them, for his son Joseph be¬ 
came a Christian. Another rich Israelite, Denis Machanet, 
as he is called by a contemporary writer, had also been con¬ 
verted ; and the efforts which his brethren made to bring 
him back to the ancient ritual, proved the means of their 
ruin. A report spread through the city of Paris that the 
new proselyte had been assassinated by the unbelievers ; 
and as the inhabitants loudly demanded the punishment of 
the criminals, the provost, a very different person from his 
predecessor Aubriot, seized seven of the principal Hebrews, 
and ordered them to be burnt alive. The Parliament com¬ 
muted this sentence into banishment and confiscation. The 
clamors occasioned by this false accusation had such an 
influence on the court, that shortly after, in the year 1394, 
Charles commanded all the Jews in his dominions to leave 
them ; alleging, as his reason, that the expectations of their 
good conduct as subjects, which had induced his father to 
grant, and himself to continue, so many privileges, had 
been entirely disappointed,* as they had shown themselves, 

* Some months after the departure of the Jews, a hundred Hebrew 
manuscripts were found in a house in Paris. They had probably belonged 
to the synagogue, and were carried to the library in Louvre. This is 
almost the only proof which we have that the Jews in the north of France 
devoted themselves at all to literature. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


205 


on every occasion, the oppressors of all who adhered to the 
true faith. The Jews were not allowed to re-enter the 
kingdom till the period of the Revolution.* 

France was not then by any means so extensive as it now 
is, not having attained its present limits till some centuries 
later. At the period of the expulsion of the Israelites by 
Charles the Sixth, many of the fugitives took refuge in the 
dominions of the Count of Provence, where their brethren 
had long enjoyed the most liberal toleration. The Jews of 
that district had devoted themselves much more to commerce 
than to usury, carrying on an extensive and lucrative traffic 
with the East, whence they brought spices and stuffs of 
various kinds. Many of them likewise practised the healing 
art with great success, and some of them were employed in 
the service of the court. In particular, Peter Nostrodamus, 
who became greatly renowned for his medical skill, was 
appointed physician to Count Rene, by whom the refugees 
were treated with great indulgence. Peter, however, 
renounced Judaism for the religion of the Gospel. Although 
Rene was personally favorable to the Israelites, it was during 
his reign that one of them, Astorgo of Leon, was condemned 
to a terrible punishment. It appears that this unfortunate 
man had been previously convicted of blasphemy ; and about 
forty years afterwards he was again accused of the same 
crime, and condemned to be burnt alive. The Count, a man 
of an amiable temper, was desirous of saving the life of his 
wretched subject, and sent to him some clergymen, for the 
purpose of convincing him of his errors. Their efforts, 
however, were ineffectual. The Jews offered him twenty 
thousand florins if he would spare Astorgo ; but he did not 
dare to prevent the execution of a sentence which was in 
unison with the sentiments of the Provencals, who had long 
murmured at the indulgence of their princes to the professors 
of Judaism. The miserable victim met his fate near the 
church of the Oratory at Aix ; and, to commemorate the 


* Basnage, book vii. chap, xviii. p. 676. Depping, p. 279—314. Beug 

not, prem. part, p. 122—133. 

18 



206 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


cruel sentence, a pillar was erected on the spot, of which 
the remains existed at the end of the eighteenth century. 

About the year 14S0, on the failure of the line of its an¬ 
cient princes, Provence was incorporated with the kingdom 
of France. Several years afterwards, Louis XII., who was 
surnamed “ The Father of his People,” showed himself 
very unworthy of the title, by ordaining all the Jewish 
inhabitants of his new acquisition to leave it. They obeyed ; 
and retired, some of them into the Levant, and others into 
the Contat d’Avignon, where they were protected by the 
authority of the pope. In this small district, from which 
they have never been expelled, they possessed several syna¬ 
gogues. Some rabbis of distinction have arisen from that 
quarter ; among others, Joseph Mein, w ho was born at the 
close of the fifteenth century. His works are, the Annals 
of the Kings of France, a compilation of great succinctness ; 
and a History of the French Conquests in the East. The 
latter piece was published at Venice, in 1554, and is very 
scarce. Another celebrated Jew of Avignon was Mordecai, 
w ho took the name of Philip d’Aquin, after his conversion 
to Christianity, and became professor of Hebrew at Paris. 
He published several books, of which the best known is a 
Hebrew Dictionary.* 

In Spain, an “ Age of Iron ” did at length afflict the 
Israelites, though it had been long delayed by the wise policy 
of the kings of Castile and Arragon. The Moors were 
gradually driven from the north and centre of the country, 
and obliged to content themselves with the southern prov¬ 
inces. The Jews seem to have passed, with little regret, 
under the power of their new masters, from w hom they long 
enjoyed many favors and indulgences. Occasionally they 
might be subjected to the oppression of some bigoted prelate 
or insensate mob, who thought that the insult and oppres¬ 
sion heaped upon them evinced a right zeal for the true 
faith ; but their sovereigns in general protected them from 
insult and injury. Learning still flourished among them ; 


* Depping, p. 319—340. Beugnot, prem. part, p. 133—136. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


207 


and Toledo especially was remarkable for the number of 
distinguished men, theologians, astronomers, mathematicians, 
and physicians, whom it produced. Alphonso X., king of 
Castile, surnamed the Wise, from his love and patronage of 
science, treated the learned Hebrews of that city with the 
usmost favor, but obliged them to renounce their religion. 
He directed his physician, Judah Morea, one of these con¬ 
verts, to draw up the famous astronomic tables, commonly 
called the Alphonsine ; and likewise enjoined upon him the 
task of translating various Arabian treatises into Castilian. 
Other proselytes were employed by this illustrious monarch 
to make versions from the works of A vermes, Avicenna, 
and such distinguished authors. 

The successors of Alphonso had not the same taste for 
letters, but nevertheless they equally protected the Jews, 
who were frequently intrusted with the management of the 
finances of the kingdom. In this situation they acquitted 
themselves with much ability, and the revenue prospered 
greatly under their superintendence. Thus, during the mi¬ 
nority of Alphonso XI., one of their body, by name Don 
Joseph, exercised the function of treasurer. When the 
king came of age, he for some time retained this person in 
office ; but he is said to have at last detected a considerable 
deficit in his accounts, or at least he pretended to have made 
such a discovery. He therefore dismissed the Israelite, and 
committed his finances to the management of Christians. 
But he was not long in finding out that he had made a 
change for the worse ; the revenue was ill collected, and he 
was frequently at a loss for money. Joseph was therefore 
recalled to the post from which he had been discarded, and 
the roval funds were once more in a flourishing state. His 
majesty was now so well satisfied of the superior ability of 
the Jews in the management of pecuniary affairs, that when 
in the Cortes of Madrid, in 1309, a powerful conspiracy was 
formed against Joseph, and a strong remonstrance was ad¬ 
dressed to the king on the impropriety of retaining an 
Israelite in so influential a situation, he refused to part with 
him, and thus defeated the machinations of his enemies 


208 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


At this time the Jews were allowed to exact interest to the 
amount of thirty-three and one third per cent.,—an exhor- 
bitant rate, which could not fail to excite many murmurs 
among those who were obliged to pay it. Even during the 
period of their greatest prosperity, while the monarchs, aware 
of their excellence as subjects, looked on them with favor, 
they were regarded with jealousy and no small dislike by the 
Cortes, who seldom omitted an opportunity of endeavoring 
to thwart the wise policy of the sovereign. Nor was their 
own conduct so prudent as it should have been ; for, con¬ 
scious of their wealth and influence at court, they too 
frequently exhibited a haughty demeanor towards their 
adversaries, and thus still more exasperated the nobles 
against them. From the clergy they had no good will to 
expect, and probably in their case all efforts at conciliation 
must have been hopeless. 

Peter the Cruel, who began his reign in 1350, was 
equally favorable to the Jews ; and his protection of them 
was imputed to him as a crime by his natural brother, 
Henry of Trastamara, when he aspired to the crown. That 
prince obtained a body of French troops, commanded by 
the famous Bertrand de Guesclin, to support his preten¬ 
sions ; and these auxiliaries, when they entered Spain, pro¬ 
claimed their resolution to exterminate the Israelites. In 
several places they fulfilled this atrocious determination, 
and massacred all who refused to submit to baptism. In¬ 
fluenced by gratitude to their royal protector, those of Bur¬ 
gos made a desperate resistance to Henry’s troops ; giving 
perhaps the only instance on record of such faithful attach¬ 
ment in the Hebrew subjects of a Christian sovereign. 
When, in the year 1369, Peter was murdered by his 
brother, his treasurer, Samuel Levi, shared the same fate. 
But however Henry might affect horror at the protection 
which his predecessor had extended towards the Jews, on 
his accession he found it convenient to continue their privi¬ 
leges, and even to defend them from the machinations of 
their numerous enemies. It was during the reign of one 
of these Castilian princes that a courtier said, in the hearing 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


209 


of the queen, “For a long time, the church and the syna¬ 
gogue have stood almost close to one another ; and both 
Christians and Jews have worshipped in peace, neither 
molesting nor obstructing the devotions of the other.” The 
queen answered, “Well! may these ,two buildings con¬ 
tinue thus in peaceful juxtaposition, until both fall to ruin 
from the progress of decay ! ” Happy would it have been 
for Europe, if all her inonarchs had participated in the ex¬ 
cellent spirit which dictated this truly liberal prayer ! 

During the reigns of the later princes of the Trastamara 
house, the Jews were less favorably treated. A sermon 
preached by a zealot in the cathedral of Segovia stirred up 
the populace against the Israelites ; whence the fanatical 
contagion spread throughout a large portion of the penin¬ 
sula, and even into Majorca and Sardinia. Many Hebrews 
perished, and many more were obliged to renounce their 
religion, in order to preserve their lives. These disgraceful 
scenes occurred in the time of Henry III., who, in 1406, 
left the crown to his infant son, John II. The influence of 
the clergy during the minority of the prince was evinced 
by the severe regulations passed by the Cortes at Valladolid 
in 1412, whereby the Jews were obliged, under severe 
penalties, to confine themselves to a particular quarter of 
the cities which they inhabited. They were forbidden to 
mingle freely with the adherents of the dominant faith, and 
were interdicted from exercising a variety of employments ; 
for some of which, such as those of physician and farmer of 
the public revenues, they were unquestionably better quali¬ 
fied than their Christian neighbors.* 

In the rival kingdom of Arragon, the Jews had never en- 
joved such favor as was shown to them in Castile. They 
were not allowed to exact more than twenty per cent, of in¬ 
terest ; various restrictions were from time to time imposed 
upon them ; and yet, for a long period, they appear to 
have enjoyed considerable prosperity, to which their unre- 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. xvi. p. 662 ; and chap. xvii. p. 666. Depping, 
p. 364-373. 


18 * 





210 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


mitted industry justly entitled them. The seaports of Cata¬ 
lonia, which formed part of the kingdom of Arragon, af 
forded great facilities for trade ; and, during the latter por¬ 
tion of the middle ages, the natives sedulously devoted 
themselves to commercial pursuits. The Jews shared with 
their fellow-subjects in the benefits arising from a skilful 
use of their maritime position ; except at Barcelona, which 
for a while became the rival of Venice and Genoa in the 
extent of its imports. The Barcelonese were exceedingly 
jealous of strangers, whatever might be their religion, and 
by various municipal enactments excluded them from all 
participation in those lucrative employments, the profits of 
which they themselves were eager to engross. 

During the period of which we are now speaking, the 
literary exertions of the Spanish Israelites were by no means 
discontinued. The most celebrated author of the age was 
Jedaiah Happenini, who is better known by the name of 
Bedrasci. His residence was at Barcelona. Like most of 
the rabbis, he was a man of great application and various 
learning; but he was especially distinguished by agiowing 
imagination, and a style rich in striking expressions. His 
principal work, which has procured him the title of the 
Jewish Cicero, is the Bechinath Olam, or Appreciation of 
the World, which contains meditation on the vanity of 
earthly things, the nature and attributes of the Deity, the 
immensity of the universe, the celestial origin of the soul, 
and its union with a material frame. This book has been 
twice translated into French. The old version of Philip 
d’Aquin has been far surpassed in fidelity and elegance by 
that of Michael Berr, published at Metz in the beginning of 
the present century. Another work of Bedrasci, is his 
Miuchar Appeninim, or Collection of Pearls, where he has 
shown a degree of research for which the plan of his more 
eloquent work afforded no scope.* The Miuchar is much 

* The reader may not be displeased to be presented with a few of these 
u orient pearls at random strung.” " There is no needle’s eye too narrow 
for two friends, but the whole extent of the world is not wide enough for 
two enemies. To visit friends rarely increases friendship. Knowledge 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


211 


esteemed by the Jews, and consists of aphorisms gleaned 
from the Greek and Arabian philosophers. The Theillah 
Lascem, or Invocation of God, is a prayer in which every 
word begins with the Hebrew letter mem. Bedrasci, in this 
piece of misplaced ingenuity, followed the example of his 
father, who amused himself with composing a poem, of 
which every word commenced with lamed. The parent had, 
however, in the less sacred nature of the subject on which 
he wrote, an excuse for his solemn trifling, which his son 
wanted. 

About the same time flourished Rabbi Don Santo, who, in 
the words of Dr. M’Crie, cc makes the following modest and 
not inelegant apology for taking his place among the poets 
of the land which had given him birth : ” 

11 The rose that blooms on thorny sprig, 

Will not the less perfume the earth; 

Good wine that leaves a creeping twig, 

Is not the worse for humble birth. 

• 

“The hawk may be of noble kind, 

That from a lowly eyry flew; 

And precepts are not less refined, 

Because they issue from a Jew.” * 

The clergy of Arragon were especially active in their 
endeavors to bring the Jews within the pale of the church. 


without wealth, is a foot without a shoe, and wealth without knowledge, is 
a shoe without a foot. You never eat honey which is not mingled with 
poison. A king had engraven on his ring the words , e You are trouble¬ 
some,—begone ! * and every time that he was bored with any one, he 
shewed him the inscription. Never keep company with the idle or the 
tedious, for I have read in some medical author, that the presence of a 
bore is more dangerous than the quartan ague. A man is wise when he 
seeks wisdom, but a fool when he imagines he has found it. A fool makes 
no difference between a friend and an enemy. What is the most torment¬ 
ing sickness ? A bad neighbor.” 

* Depping, p. 354. Beugnot, trois. part, p. 168—183. M’Crie’s Refor¬ 
mation in Spain, p. 57. 



212 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


In order to facilitate the accomplishment of this object, 
Raymond de Permafort, a celebrated pulpit orator, prevailed 
upon the king to establish professorships of Hebrew in the 
universities. The monks vigorously applied themselves to 
the study of that language, and sought every opportunity of 
bringing their newly acquired knowledge to bear upon their 
controversies with the rabbis. These contests excited so 
much attention, that James the First of Arragon ordered a 
public disputation to take place in his presence at Barcelona, 
in 1263. Each party chose their most able polemic. The 
Christian champion was Father Paul Christian!, who during 
several years had distinguished himself by his zeal for the 
conversion of the Jews. His opponent was a celebrated 
rabbi named Moses. The court, the clergy, and a vast con¬ 
course of persons from every part of the kingdom, were 
present at this conference, which was conducted on both 
sides with consummate ability and erudition ; though, as 
usual on such occasions, neither of the disputants would 
allow that he was worsted. Two years afterwards, Chris¬ 
tian! had a similar debate with another rabbi, but with as 
little effect. The king, incited by the pressing remonstrances 
of the pope, now banished the advocate of Judaism from 
his dominions ; and sent his opponent into all the principal 
towns to hold conferences with the Jews, and endeavor to 
bring them over to the religion of the Gospel. He was like¬ 
wise enjoined to order them every where to bring their books 
to him, that he might see if there was any thing hostile to 
the New Testament in them. They were obliged to comply 
with this command ; and he, with the assistance of some 
zealous monks, tore out all the passages in the rabbinical 
volumes which seemed in any degree to militate against the 
true faith. The Jews complained of this harsh usage to his 
majesty, who ordered them to bring all their treatises to 
Barcelona, that they might there be carefully examined by 
competent authority. Their compliance with this injunction 
was only partial, and they secreted a great number of the 
most valuable tomes, fearing that the clergy would prove as 
unscrupulous inquisitors as Christiani and his associates 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


213 


Their fears were not groundless, for the Barcelonese ecclesi¬ 
astics destroyed or mutilated every volume in which there was 
any thing hostile to the religion of Jesus. The obnoxious pas¬ 
sages thus examined and detected, became of great service 
to Raymond Martin, a Dominican monk, well versed in 
Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, and Chaldee ; who soon after pub¬ 
lished a work against Judaism, under the title of “ The 
Dagger of the Faith.” This book consists of extracts from 
the Hebrew writers, showing the opposition of their doctrines 
to those of the Gospel; the quotations are accompanied 
with critical, and often very severe remarks. Raymond 
has, however, been accused by Jewish authors of great in¬ 
competence or unfairness, in his choice of citations from the 
rabbis ; and they represent his book as giving by no means 
an accurate idea either of their tenets or the feelings which 
they cherish towards Christians.* 

One of the most remarkable events which occur in the 
history of the Jews in Spain, is the disputation which was 
held at Tortosa in the beginning of the fifteenth century. 
This meeting took place in presence of the anti-pope, Peter 
de Luna, who had assumed the name of Benedict XIII., 
who had not ever been acknowledged by the larger part 
of the Christian world, and found adherents onlv in 
the province of Arragonia in Spain, and was desirous to 
convert the Spanish Jews to Christianity; perhaps less 
from religious zeal than from a wish to ingratiate himself 
with the Spaniards. An opportunity for this was given 
him by his physician, a baptized Jew, (Joshua Lorka,) and 
called after his conversion, Mstr. Hieronymus de sanata 
fide. This person endeavored to set a trap for his former 
brethren, perhaps as much from a desire to exhibit his not 
inconsiderable Talmudic learning, as from the evil disposi¬ 
tion of making unhappy the lives of Arragonian rabbis 
whom he hated, and also to show his zeal for his new faith. 
The latter motive has been imputed to him in a letter of R. 


* Basnage, hook vii. chap. xv. p. 660—662. Depping, p. 379—383 
Mosheim, cent. xiii. 




214 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Abun Astrue to the Jewish community at Spain.* “Noble 
Israelites,” it says, “ honorable men of Jehudah, whose 
houses and walls are surrounded by godly virtues; who 
have erected their thrones of law, of revelation and tradi¬ 
tion, send Greeting : Know then, that even now, as you 
have experienced in former days, our Redeemer, who has 
delivered us from the scourge of misery, does neither slum¬ 
ber nor sleep. A branch, gone out from us, thought to 
destroy us, and bow the law of truth to the earth. Joshua 
Lorka conceived the idea of annihilating us, in order to 
show that he was a true Christian, and endeavored to pro¬ 
mulgate his new faith,” &c. He attempted to prove, in a 
convention of Israelite rabbis, from the Talmud, the arrival 
of the Messiah. Hieronymus was associated, by order of 
the Pope, with a few Christian clergymen skilled in Hebrew 
learning ; and now a convention of delegates of the com- 
rnunites in Spain, was appointed on the 1st January, 1413.f 
This Jewish-Christian convocation was attended by R. 
Serachjah Halevy, Don Vidal ben Benbenasti, and thirteen 
others. They chose Don Vidal for their speaker, as well 
on account of his distinguished learning, as his knowledge 
of the Latin language ; they agreed among themselves, in 
this convention, that they would not contradict one another, 
and distinguish themselves after the manner of the Jewish 
academies, by sharp disputations ; that they would answer 
Lorka, as well as the cardinals, with modesty and mild 
language ; and that nothing should move or dissuade them 
from adhering to this resolution, not even harsh and scorn¬ 
ful language. Previous to the meeting of the first conven¬ 
tion, they went together to the pope’s, and implored him in 
touching language that he would regard them with indul¬ 
gence. Benedict received them in a very gracious manner, 
inquired of each person his place of abode, observed that 
they might speak their minds freely and openly, and that no 
person should be held responsible for so doing. The con¬ 
vention was opened on the 2d January. Naiv describes to 


* Sch. J. S. lib. 1, § 40. 


f 5th Tebeth, 5173. 





HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


215 


Abun Astrue the impression which the splendor of the halls, 
the seventy golden chairs, upon which sat cardinals, arch¬ 
bishops and bishops, the number of nobles and learned men, 
made upon the rabbis who assembled there. “When we 
saw such things, 55 he writes “ our hearts melted like water; 
but still we exclaimed all at once, c Be thou praised, King 
of the world, whose flesh and blood is endowed with so 
much excellence ! 5 55 

The pope addressed them as follows : — “I have not come 
hither, and not called you here to ascertain which faith is 
the more true ; for 1 know that my belief is orthodox, and 
that your law is also true ; and ye are not called upon to 
relinquish it. But since Master Hieronymus has taken upon 
himself to prove to you from the Talmud of your rabbis, 
who knew more than you, that the Messiah has already 
arrived, it is only upon this point that you have to answer. 55 

Hieronymus manifested his good will immediately. Being 
requested by the pope to commence the dispute, he addressed 
the Jews in the following language of Isaiah: — “Come, 
now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord. But if ye 
refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword. 55 
With winning words, and in fine Latin, Don Vidal appealed 
to the pope, who was surprised at the language of Hierony¬ 
mus ; he declared that such a beginning would not tend to 
the conversion of any one, and that it was improper for 
persons desirous of converting and instructing erring per¬ 
sons, to hold a sword over their heads. “ O Lord, show us 
thy mercy, 55 exclaimed he with the Psalmist, “ and lend us 
thine aid. Thou hast not called us here to pour down upon 
us grievous words ; but to dispute only upon talmudic 
topics. 55 Upon this, the pope and cardinals censured Hie¬ 
ronymus, and reminded him that such a course was not a 
Christian one. “ Consider, 55 exclaimed Benedict, “ he is 
one of your own brethren.” But Don Vidal observed, that 
such language was never listened to by the rabbis. It was 
perceived that the convention did not go on harmoniously, 
and they separated. The rabbis were accompanied to their 
homes with appropriate honors, where, by order of the 


216 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


pope, their wants were cared for according to the prescrip¬ 
tions of Jewish law. {C We wish,” writes Abunstruel, 
<c that the end had been like the beginning. We met at the 
synagogue, where we fervently prayed to the Rock of our 
salvation, in the presence of a large assembly, that he would 
illumine our minds, and that no stumbling-block might arise 
from our language. Then R. Serachjah Halevy arose, with 
an humble spirit and contrite heart, before a large concourse 
of people, and, stationed in a tent, preached from the 'Pal- 
mud, closing his discourse with a fervent prayer.” W ith 
each return of the conventions that were held a few hours 
every day, from the winter of 1413 until the spring of 1414, 
the poor oppressed rabbis felt more uneasy than ever. As 
early as the third day, when Hieronymus commenced his 
exposition of a Messian passage of the Talmud, it required 
all the eloquence that Vidal was master of, to convince the 
assembly of the signification of this passage. But I do not 
wish to fatigue my readers with a full report of the doings 
of this convention, which did not lead to any definite result. 
The pope won the respect and affection of the rabbis, by his 
courteous deportment towards them. It was when they ex¬ 
pressed themselves too freely, that the pope sunk his dignity 
in his anger 3 but was soon restored when Vidal modestly 
reminded him of his promise. Hieronymus, with calm but 
deep hatred, opposed the rabbis, made every attempt to 
remain victor, and often became very angry. After the dis¬ 
solution of the convention, they were dismissed with appro¬ 
priate honors. Soon after, Pope Benedict was deposed at 
the thirty-second session of the council at Costnilz, and 
declared a perjured heretic ; and, although Martin V. mani¬ 
fested milder feelings towards the Jews, yet many hundreds 
of them who were respectable and wealthy, were thrown 
into prison, and forced to a denial of their faith. At this 
time, Albo wrote his celebrated work, entitled “ Jacarim,” 
or £C Of the Leading Principles of the Mosaic Religion,” 
the object of which was to uphold the wavering Jews who 
were persecuted on account of their belief. Don Vidal 
wrote the celebrated work, entitled tc The Holy of Holies,” 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


217 


(Kondesh Kedashim,) in which he stamped the most hal¬ 
lowed feelings of his great heart. But, alas ! the condition 
of the Jews changed for the worse. Bishop Yincentius 
Ferrarius, a Dominican, being incited by a blind zeal, 
attempted to effect the conversion of the Jews by fire and 
sword. This bishop, who was held in great respect by the 
pope, the king, and the nobles of the realm, left no means 
untried to bring them into the bosom of the church. It is 
the same Vincentius who was placed by the Pope Calintus 
among the number of saints. “ At this time,” observes a 
Jewish chronicler, “ the decline of the Jews in Spain was 
very great; for Vincentius from Valencia was bent upon 
their destruction. He incited its inhabitants against them, 
and they rose up to kill them ; many were killed with the 
sword, burned with fire ; many were led by fear to embrace 
Christianity, and the books of the holy law were consigned 
to the flames. Those who were forced to embrace Chris¬ 
tianity, it is true, attended the churches, and to all appear¬ 
ance were converts ; but in their hearts and their homes 
remained Jews, circumcised their sons, secretly instructed 
them in their own religious faith, celebrated the passover 
and the remaining feasts, and were called Enussim, (from 
anas, to force. Esther i. 8 ; and Targumin.) It is said 
that a number of such (Enussim) exist at the present 
time. 

The heresy of this sect of Enussim became the occasion 
of the most horrible cruelties, which reached their height in 
the reign of Ferdinand and Pope Sixtus IV. The inquisi¬ 
tion was instituted in order to keep a watchful eye upon 
those heretics ; magistrates of the city were required to 
assist in the bloody judgment, in order to proceed with the 
utmost rigor against the heretics. Two thousand of them 
were burned alive ; seventeen thousand were compelled to 
do penance, whilst the by-standers mocked and scorned 
them ; others were confined a long time, afterwards released, 
spurned, and their garments were marked. Even the dead 
were not spared, and the corpses taken from the graves 
were burned, and their property confiscated. As such 
19 


218 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


cruelties became more universal, most of the Jews made 
attempts to fly their country ; but being prevented, they 
were obliged either to remain or to escape in some secret 
manner. Every public evil was heaped on their heads. 
In Toledo, the nobles had laid a tax on the citizens, and 
they charged the Jews with being the occasion of it. The 
houses of the unfortunate ones were stormed, large and 
small were murdered, and even infants were not spared. 
After the storm had abated, the magistrates and nobles were 
urged by the people to pass the severest laws against the 
baptized Jews and Moors. Their most horrible sufferings 
commenced in March, 1492. Queen Isabella, as well as 
Minister de Torre, had, before the commencement of the 
war with the Moors in Granada, extorted a vow from Fer¬ 
dinand that, in the event of a fortunate termination of the 
war, he would banish the Jews from the country, or force 
them to embrace Christianity. The war was ended, the 
Moors were completely vanquished, and in the month 
above-mentioned a royal decree was passed, that within the 
period of four months the Jews should leave the country. 
Even this short term was soon afterwards abridged by de 
Torre, for every inhabitant was forbidden, under heavy 
penalties, to shelter a Jew, or to sell them provisions after 
the first of April. An historian narrates that they were 
prohibited from carrying with them their money and orna¬ 
ments ; but this is improbable, and many no doubt saved 
their ornaments, although others left their homes in want 
and poverty. At the close of April the onset commenced. 
Eight hundred thousand souls, men, women, children, aged 
men and the sick were not favored with a moment’s peace.* 
Many were intercepted and forced to remain, and those that 
stayed behind were either condemned to death, or sold as 
slaves, or converted. 

Don Isaac Abarbanel presents a very affecting picture of 
their misery to those noble and learned sages who were 
among the number of the banished. “ When that edict was 


* Sch. J. b. 2, § 50. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


219 


passed, I betook myself to the royal palace, and repeatedly 
implored the king for mercy ; but alas ! in vain did I proffer 
him all our treasures in order to be permitted to remain in 
our native country. He became angry. In vain did I go to 
my former friends, the lords and grandees ; but none could 
help—the queen had urged the king to the deed. A wailing 
broke out in all the assemblies of the Jews, when the decree 
was announced ; and there arose a lamentation, the like of 
which has not been heard since the Israelites departed from 
their native land and arrived on a foreign shore. Yet they 
spake one to another : Let us be strong—we will seal the 
law and faith with our lives ; though we die, we will not go 
back nor break the covenant of our fathers, but wander in 
the name of the Lord our God. Thus they went in hundreds 
of thousands, and I among them, from all the provinces of the 
kingdom. They went whither their-spirit led them, and the 
Lord of Lords guided them—one said, I belong to the Lord ; 
another one ascribed his strength to the Highest. Many 
went to Portugal, many to the southern coast, and every 
where was anguish and darkness, tribulation and ruin, hun¬ 
ger and sickness. Alas ! the hand of the Lord was heavy 
upon us ! 55 Shall I terrify the imagination of my reader 
with a sad picture? Shall I enter into the detail of it? No! 
It requires but little imagination to conceive of the misery 
in its full extent! But in order to give a complete idea of 
the fanaticism and bigotry of that age and country, and to 
inspire our brethren with gratitude and exultation towards 
that God who has healed the wounds, and given us better 
and more cheerful homes, we will not yet drop the curtain 
of this dreadful drama. 

Among those who reached the sea coast, were many who 
were unable to pay their passage, and were retained as 
slaves. Two ships, filled with these unfortunate Jews, 
were unable to set sail, on account of their heavy burthen, 
before the termination of the respite, and were obliged to 
remain behind and land the slaves. Still greater was the 
suffering upon the open sea. Fire issued from the ships, 
and they were burned upon the ocean—some of them sunk 


220 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


because their burthen was too great—some of the unfortu¬ 
nates were wrecked in one place, and some in another, and 
finally died of hunger. In other ships an epidemic broke 
out ; the sailors put the sick and those who were well, indis¬ 
criminately, upon dreary cliffs and islands. One of the 
captains, in a frenzy, ordered all the Jews on board of his 
ship to be put to death ; but by the interposition of a Chris¬ 
tian merchant he was induced to desist from such a cruel 
deed. Still the captain forced them to take off their gar¬ 
ments, and placed them in their nakedness upon a cliff, from 
which many plunged into the foaming billows, others almost 
perished for want of food, and were taken in by a merchant 
vessel and carried to one of the charitable societies in Italy. 1 * 1 
Others were shipwrecked at Fetz, on the north of Africa. 
There was a famine here, and they would not permit the 
unwelcome guests to enter the city. They therefore made 
tents in the fields, and subsisted on such roots and herbs as 
the soil would yield. Many died, but were not interred, 
because the surviving ones were too weak to bury them. 
Notwithstanding, they gathered roots on Friday, in order to 
observe the Sabbath in all its strictness. Besides, they 
were oppressed by the inhabitants, and now and then their 
daughters and wives were ravished before the eyes of their 
parents, and were afterwards killed. The children who 
lodged here were enticed on board of a ship, under the 
promise of food ; the ship weighed anchor whilst their 
mothers stood on the shore, wringing their hands in despair, 
and the little ones were sold as slaves in Barbary.f A 
countless multitude of the banished arrived at Rome in 
July, 1493, and were received by Pope Alexander VI. with 
the greatest kindness, although he had a short time before 
bestowed on Ferdinand, on account of his religious zeal, the 
title of “Catholic King.” According to the testimony of 
Christian historians, thirty thousand people died upon the 
ocean.§ The Spaniards, not being satisfied with the suffer- 


* Sch. I. § 58. f Sch. 53, 54, ff. 

§ Tome Naucler. chron. vol ii. p. 1110. Col. 1075. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


221 


ings of those who were banished, branded them also, so 
that they might be distinguished as those who first introduced 
into Europe the syphilistic disease, an effect of the dissolute 
habits of the age. That this charge was a result of bigotry, 
has been shown satisfactorily. These exiled Jews were called 
Marannen, (Spanish hogs,) which epithet the Spaniards 
gave to the sect of Enussim, but latterly they themselves 
received the same sobriquet. 

These were the consequences of Ferdinand’s and Isabella’s 
fanaticism ; these the effects of the doings of the Inquisition, 
and of selfish, slothful monks. They did not consider, as 
did many noble and discreet Spaniards, that the country 
would be deprived of a multitude of industrious and useful 
inhabitants, and the dangers which might arise should the 
Moors, Jews and Enussims combine in an insurrection, were 
it not, as Abarbanel observes, that the Jewish law obliges 
them to obey even the commands of the most cruel of 
monarchs. That they were not deficient in courage, is 
proved by the circumstance that many wandered to Turkey, 
where they served in the army as artillery-men. 

Ferdinand and Isabella were, in the main, wise and 
sagacious sovereigns ; their joint reign is regarded by native 
authors as the most prosperous era of the country which 
they governed ; but the expulsion of the Jews was as im¬ 
politic as it was inhuman. It is almost the only blot on the 
memory of the queen, who is usually deemed one of the 
purest characters that ever filled a throne, and is termed by 
Lord Bacon “ an honor to her sex,” as well as “ the corner¬ 
stone of the greatness of Spain.” She was, however, with 
all her virtues, a slave to Romish bigotry ; and was induced 
to consent to this deed of darkness, because the priests, by 
whom she was surrounded, assured her that it was sinful to 
admit any other creed within her dominions than that incul¬ 
cated by the infallible church. Her husband was a selfish, 
crafty prince, who never scrupled to commit any crime that 
seemed to be for his interest; but in this instance he com¬ 
pletely overreached himself. So evidently unwise was the 
step, that the Sultan Bajazet exclaimed on hearing of it, 
19* 


222 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


“ Do they call this Ferdinand a politic prince, who can thus 
impoverish his own kingdom, and enrich ours ? ” * 

We have said that many of the unfortunate Israelites, 
when expelled from Spain, took refuge in Portugal ; and 
though in that country they never enjoyed the favor which, 
for a time, they had possessed in the other, their condition 
was by no means severe, having acquired the privilege of 
naming judges of their own nation in every town, who took 
cognizance of civil matters ; criminal cases alone being re¬ 
ferred to the jurisdiction of the Christian tribunals. These 
Hebrew lawyers were subject to the control of superior offi¬ 
cers of their own nation, of whom there were seven, one for 
each of the principal towns in the seven provinces of the 
kingdom ; and these, in their turn, were superintended by the 
great rabbi, resident at Lisbon, who was appointed by his 
majesty, and took care that the inferior judges should admin¬ 
ister justice impartially. His decisions could only be reversed 
by the sovereign himself. The Portuguese Jews devoting 
themselves to commerce and literature, became distinguished 
both as merchants and authors. In the fifteenth century 
several rabbis of great reputation proceeded from the acade¬ 
my of Lisbon, which promised, in course of time, to rival 
even the schools of Seville and Toledo, so justly celebrated 
in a former age. Some of the most renowned scholars who 
adorned this institution were, David Jachia, who was deeply 
versed in grammar, poetry, philosophy, and theology ; Isaac 
Avuhaf, who died in 1493, author of the Menoraas Hammor, 
or Lamp of Light, in which he taught that the sayings of 
the wise men were to be received as the words of God ; and 
Moses ben Thabiba, a Talmudist of vast learning, whose 
work on grammar, entitled Arcenoam, has been printed at 
Venice. There were also several Jewish physicians of great 

* Basnage, book vii. chap. xxi. p. 692. Depping, p. 426—434. Pres¬ 
cott, vol. ii. p. 220—240. An instance of the fond attachment of the Jews 
to Spain is afforded by the fact, that even in the seventeenth century, 
those settled in Germany used to visit that country for the purpose of 
procuring for the feast of tabernacles branches of the citron tree, under 
the shade of which their forefathers had so often reposed. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


223 


skill and reputation ; two of whom, Joseph and Rodrigo, 
were employed by John II. to draw up astronomical tables 
for the use of the ships employed in his African expeditions. 
The Israelites in the peninsula were distinguished for the 
beauty and correctness of their handwriting, and copies of 
the sacred books written by them were much sought after 
by their brethren in other countries. Some of these manu¬ 
scripts, which have escaped the ravages of time aud bigotry, 
are now preserved in the greater libraries throughout Eu¬ 
rope. When the art of printing was invented, the Portuguese 
Jew's availed themselves of it, and published several of the 
works of their best authors. These books were well exe¬ 
cuted on good paper, and are considered very creditable 
specimens of the typography of the fifteen century. The 
most highly valued of the writings which proceeded from 
the Hebrew press at Lisbon, is a beautiful edition of the 
Pentateuch, with the Chaldean paraphrase of Onkelos, and 
the commentary of Solomon Jarchi. This book, which ap¬ 
peared in two quarto volumes, was carefully printed after 
the most ancient and correct manuscripts ; so that, besides 
being highly esteemed among the Jews, it has served as the 
model of several subsequent editions. It has now become 
very rare, but there is a copy in the Royal Library at Paris. 
From the same press came forth, in 1492, with nearly equal 
elegance, the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, having 
annexed the commentary of David Kimchi ; from which, 
however, all the passages that could give offence to Chris¬ 
tians were carefully removed. 

History mentions particularly the names of Abraham de 
Beza and Joseph Zapatero, who discovered several islands, 
and returned laden with great treasures.* Although the 
Jews expected that King Don Juan (John) would favor 
them on that account, in which, however, they were disap¬ 
pointed, and those Jew's who subsequently arrived did not 
meet with a very friendly reception, perhaps because the 
great number of them placed the government in an embar- 


* Car. doso Sas. Excellencies, p. 358. 




224 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


rassing situation, or that lie feared to incur the displeasure 
of the Spanish government, who were glad to see the Jews 
wander to Barbary or Italy, but not to neighboring Portugal. 
And why should Don Juan be more exempt from bigotry 
or fanaticism, so prevalent in his time, than Ferdinand and 
Isabella? It is sufficient, that he did not make the settle¬ 
ment of the Jews very comfortable. An entrance was per¬ 
mitted them, on the condition that they paid a poll-tax of 
eight gold pieces ; the settlement was limited to eight months, 
with the understanding that every Jew who might chance 
to remain in the country after the lapse of eight months, 
should either become a Christian or be sold as a slave. 
Nevertheless, their limited term was welcome to the unfor¬ 
tunate Jews. They had adequate time for transportation, 
to recruit themselves and settle their affairs ; besides this, 
experience had taught them the value of time and the 
changes of their fate. 

King John died after having suffered great bodily distress 
and a long siege of sickness. 

The next king, Manuel, began his reign by restoring lib¬ 
erty to the unfortunate emigrants, and from him they might 
have all entertained hopes of protection and favor ; but un¬ 
fortunately, having married a daughter of Ferdinand and 
Isabella, he imbibed the sentiments of the royal house with 
which he had allied himself. Scarcely four years had 
elapsed since the Jews were expelled from Spain, when, in 
1496, Manuel issued an edict to the same effect, banishing 
them also from his dominions. He even outstripped the 
other sovereigns in their merciless bigotry ; for he ordered 
that all children under fourteen years of age should be 
torn from their parents, in order to be brought up in the 
Christian faith. We are told by Samuel Usque, a rabbinical 
writer, that many of his wretched countrymen, on hearing 
the cruel terms of this decree, killed themselves in despair ; 
and this is confirmed by Osorio, the Portuguese historian, 
who adds, that the conduct of the king was indeed unjust, 
but that the holiness of his intentions sanctioned the means 
by which he sought to attain them ; thus giving an example 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


225 


how thoroughly the Romish doctrine blinds the moral per¬ 
ceptions of those who acquiesce in its dogmas.* 

Many of the Portuguese Jews chose to abjure their relig¬ 
ion, rather than leave their children and their country ; while 
others, who had resolved to emigrate, destroyed their off¬ 
spring with their own hands, in order that they might not be 
educated in that faith which its professed votaries had caused 
them to abhor. The converts endeavored to protect them¬ 
selves against persecution, by stipulating with the govern¬ 
ment that the Inquisition should not be established in Portu¬ 
gal for the space of twenty years; and that, even if it 
should at the expiration of that period be introduced, the 
accused might have the power of becoming acquainted 
beforehand with the names of the witnesses against them ; 
and that, in the case of condemnation, the property of the 
sufferer should not be taken from his family. These stipu¬ 
lations too evidently show the insincerity of their conversion, 
and the danger in which they knew that it might eventually 
involve them. Those who preferred banishment to apostacy 
were treated in various places with the utmost harshness. 
At Lisbon the populace plundered their houses, dishonored 
their wives and daughters, and even put many of them to 
death. We are told, by certain authors, that the monks 
were the instigators of these atrocities ; and even encouraged 
the multitude to commit them, by promising indulgences 
to every one who should kill an Israelite. Such as Avere 
fortunate enough to depart in safety from the kingdom found 
a shelter either in Italy or at Constantinople ; Avhere though 
they, like believers themselves, have always been despised 
bv the Turks, they escaped those dreadful persecutions 

* In Southey’s Letters from Spain and Portugal, this remarkable testi¬ 
mony is borne respecting them: —“Till within the last fifty years, the 
burning of a Jew formed the highest delight of the Portuguese; they 
thronged to behold this triumph of the faith, and the very women shouted 
with transport as they saw the agonized martyr writhe at the stake. 
Neither sex nor age could save this persecuted race ; and Antonio Joseph 
de Silvia, the best of their dramatic writers, was burned alive because he 

was a Jew.” 




226 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


which have befallen them in countries professing the true 
religion. 

The “new Christians,” who remained in the kingdom, 
were looked upon with suspicion by the clei'gy and people. 
In 1506, one of them imprudently discovered an imposture 
which a monk was practising upon a crowd of admiring 
spectators, by holding up a crucifix to their view r , and bid¬ 
ding them observe the light which streamed from it, a mani¬ 
fest appearance, as he intimated, of the Savior himself. 
The Jew, whose eyes were not blinded by superstition, saw 
a lamp behind the holy emblem, and made known his dis¬ 
covery in a taunting manner. The enraged multitude seized 
him, pulled him out of the church, and tore him to pieces. 
H is brother, who stood lamenting his fate, was butchered 
merely for this expression of natural feeling. Nor w r as the 
mob contented with this demonstration of their bigoted zeal. 
Inflamed by the exhortations of two Dominican friars, 
they attacked and slew the new converts on all sides. Even 
the churches afforded no refuge to the wretched beings 
wdio fled thither ; they w r ere dragged from the sanctuaries, 
and put to death without mercy. The slaughter continued 
three days, during which we are assured that no fewer 
than two thousand of them perished ; * while the magistrates, 
either through fear* or a secret approbation of these ex¬ 
cesses, took no measures to prevent them. When Manuel 
was informed of the massacre, he professed the utmost ab¬ 
horrence of the perpetrators, and gave orders for the execution 
of the two monks who had been the ringleaders of the mob. 
By degrees, the attachment of the Jewish converts to the 
Hebrew rites died away. The Inquisition w r as introduced 
into Portugal in 1536, for the purpose of watching over 
their conduct, as w r ell as of stifling the incipient progress of 
the Reformation. Many families of the new Christians 
retired into France, and fixed their residence at Bordeaux 
and Bayonne, where they distinguished themselves by com- 


* Tranl. Histoire d’ Espagne, tiree de Marranna, etc., Rotterdam, 1G96. 
tom. iii. p. 132. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


227 


mercial enterprise and upright conduct; and, in consequence 
of these estimable qualities, obtained from Henry II., in 
1550, letters patent, which entitled them to all the privi¬ 
leges of the realm. These immunities were confirmed by 
Henry III. in 1574, and he at the same time interdicted the 
annoyances to which they had been exposed from zealots, 
who declared that they practised in secret the rites which 
they dared not celebrate in public. It is worthy of remark, 
that in all the edicts issued in their favor, the name of Jew 
is carefully avoided, the term employed being that of Por¬ 
tuguese.* 


CHAPTER XIV. 

Persecutions of the Jews in Switzerland—They are protected by the 
Emperors—The Black Death—Horrible cruelties inflicted on the Jews 
at -Strasburg—Persecutions in Brabant—Jews in England—William 
Rufus—Henry II.—Massacre of the Jews at York—Enactments made 
against Usury—The Jews first favored, and afterwards persecuted by 
John—Exactions of Henry III.—Expulsion by Edward I.—Between A. 
D. 1288 and A. D. 1394—1519. 

If we turn from the south of Europe, towards the north, 
we shall find that in almost every country the Jews were 
more or less exposed to hardships and persecution. At 
Berne, in Switzerland, towards the end of the thirteenth 
century, the body of an infant was found with evident marks 
of having perished by a violent death ; and immediately a 
cry was raised that they had perpetrated this atrocious 
crime. Some of them were seized, and put to the torture : 
writhing with agony, they confessed whatever their perse¬ 
cutors desired, and were in consequence broken on the 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. xxi. pp. 693, 694. Depping, p. 444—452. 
Beugnot, prem. part, p. 137—140. 






228 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


wheel. Their brethren, who were obliged to flee from a 
city which had so unequivocally declared its hostility to 
them, complained to Rodolph, of Hapsburg, the liege lord 
of Berne, who espoused their cause, and ordered the au¬ 
thorities to receive them again peaceably. They refused, 
and, in consequence, he assembled a large force, in order to 
compel them to obedience ; but he died before he could 
carry his design into effect. Long after his demise, the 
Bernese agreed to re-admit the Jews, upon condition of their 
paying one thousand marks to the city, and five hundred to 
the bailli or chief magistrate. Depping very justly ob¬ 
serves, that the citizens ought rather to have paid a con¬ 
siderable sum to them, as an indemnification for the many 
injuries they had received. About the same time, the 
rulers of Lucerne, more wise than their neighbors, forbade 
their people to accuse the Israelites, or insult them in any 
manner. 

The same fanatical spirit some time afterwards burst forth 
in various other cities of Switzerland, and menaced the un¬ 
fortunate Hebrews with destruction. A man at Dissenhofen 
on the Rhine, having been found guilty of infanticide, as¬ 
serted that one of them, named Michael, had offered him 
three florins for the blood of a Christian child. Immediately 
the fury of the populace burst forth ; no inquiry was insti¬ 
tuted into the truth of a story so suspicious from the char¬ 
acter of the narrator, and the circumstances in which he 
promulgated it. The accused was condemned to the flames ; 
and the murderer was broken on the wheel. The mania 
spread to other parts of the country. The people of Zurich, 
in particular, demanded the execution of the Jews, whose 
lives were with great difficulty preserved by the magistrates, 
and they were at last allowed to leave the city without 
molestation, upon paying one thousand five hundred florins. 
In the town of Schaffhausen and Winterthur thirty-eight 
perished at the stake ; and their brethren sought a refuge in 
other regions from the fury of the bigoted mob. # 


* Depping, pp. 220, 221, 





HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


229 


We are informed by a monkish historian, that the Em¬ 
peror Albert I. sent an embassy to Philip the Fair of 
France, demanding all the Jews in his kingdom as of right 
belonging to himself; being transmitted to him with the 
other privileges of the Roman emperors, whose representa¬ 
tive he claimed to be. It is certain that he treated that 
people with far greater favor than his French contemporary, 
and vigorously repressed the tumults which were excited 
in Franconia, Suabia, and Bavaria, when there arrived in 
those districts various bodies of emigrants, who took refuge 
from the tyranny of Philip. The German emperors con¬ 
sidering them as more especially their property, granted 
only for considerable sums, to the great barons and princi¬ 
pal cities the privilege of making laws with respect to them, 
and of imposing tribute upon them. Perceiving their un¬ 
wearied industry, and the wealth which they were thereby 
enabled to acquire, the princes protected them against 
the bigotry of the clergy and populace, and encouraged 
them, by various enactments, to reside in their dominions. 
If, on the one hand, they were prevented from possessing 
land, or acquiring the right of citizenship, they were ex¬ 
empted, on the other, from the heavy taxes to which the 
burgesses were liable ; and therefore, it is probable, deemed 
the invidious distinctions amply compensated by the practical 
advantage. 

But no exertion of imperial or civic authority could 
always prevent the popular rage from breaking out, and 
marking its course by bloodshed and desolation. In the 
year 1290, the multitude rose against the Jews in the city 
of Prague ; and from thence the torrent of fanaticism spread 
on all sides, until it had ravaged Bohemia, Moravia, and the 
neighboring parts of Germany. Every where the devoted 
unbelievers were dragged from their dwellings, and massa¬ 
cred in cold blood, while the infuriated mob gloated with 
savage delight over their expiring agonies. The authori¬ 
ties were either paralyzed by the suddenness and combina¬ 
tion of the tumults, or secretly rejoiced that the hated race 
of Israel had suffered, without their being exposed to any 
20 


230 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


odium as the actual perpetrators. This was one of the most 
sanguinary persecutions to which the unfortunate descen¬ 
dants of Abraham have been subjected, for we are informed 
by contemporary historians that no fewer than ten thousand 
of them perished. 

We have already mentioned that, when a pestilence broke 
out in France in the year 1321, the Jews were accused 
as the cause of it, and on that account exposed to grievous 
injuries. But a much more general and sanguinary perse¬ 
cution took place in 1348, when a terrible disease, known 
by the name of the black death , desolated a large portion of 
Europe. This plague, like the cholera of our own day, 
came from India, and after passing through Egypt, Syria, 
and Greece, invaded the nations of the West. It carried off 
an immense number of people, who generally died on the 
second or third day after they were attacked by the disease ; 
and the imperfect state of the medical art at that time pre¬ 
vented any effectual remedy from being applied. Ignorant 
of the real causes of this tremendous visitation, the credu¬ 
lous multitude every w r here accused the Hebrews of poison¬ 
ing the waters, and polluting the atmosphere by magical 
arts. In vain did the latter protest their innocence ; in vain 
did they adduce the testimony of the most eminent physi¬ 
cians, who declared that the accusations were groundless 
and absurd ; in vain did they point to the deaths among 
themselves, which proved that they possessed no control 
over an evil from which they suffered so severely ; the mob 
would not listen to reason, and obstinately clung to their 
ridiculous prejudices. The sovereigns of the different coun¬ 
tries, and the magistrates of the various cities, through 
which the pestilence passed, would willingly, if they could, 
have protected the Jews from the effects of the popular 
fury ; but they found it in vain to attempt resistance to the 
fanaticism of so excited a period. Albert, duke of Austria, 
endeavoring to save them in his dominions from the ex¬ 
asperated populace, was not only unsuccessful in his 
efforts, but he was himself obliged to deliver three hundred 
of them to the flames at Kyburg. Nowhere was the treat- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


231 


ment they sustained more severe than at Strasburg. There 
the civic authorities had shown symptoms of a desire to 
protect them from their enemies, when the populace rose, 
and deposed their rulers, installing in their room others who 
consented to co-operate in their sanguinary schemes. The 
new magistrates caused several to be arrested and put to 
the torture, which wrung from them a confession that they 
were guilty of the imputed crime. No more being neces¬ 
sary to ensure their punishment, they were hurried away to 
the place of execution and broken on the wheel. Their 
brethren throughout the city were arrested and imprisoned. 
But the impatient multitude, refusing to wait until these 
miserable beings should be condemned by the forms of law, 
and desiring a more summary punishment, rushed to the 
prison, forced the doors, and dragged their trembling vic¬ 
tims to an open space, suitable for the dreadful atrocity 
which they were about to commit. They next plundered 
the houses of the Jews, and collected from them, as well 
as from other quarters, a quantity of combustible materials. 
Upon this pile they placed the accused, without regard to 
age or sex, and after having set it on fire, they testified 
by the most savage shouts the pleasure afforded them by 
the sufferings of the wretched Hebrews. In the annals of 
Pagan or Popish persecution, there is not a deed that calls 
for louder indignation than this cold-blooded massacre of 
two thousand unoffending individuals, for such, according 
to the most authentic accounts, was the number who 
perished in the flames. From this time, till the period of 
the French revolution, Jews were not allowed to reside 
within the walls of the city : they might enter it during the 
daytime to transact business, but every evening at a fixed 
hour a horn was blown from the tower of the cathedral, as 
a signal for their departure. The spot where the terrible 
conflagration took place is now known by the name of 
Brand Strasse, or Fire Street.* 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. xx. p. 686. Depping, pp. 231,232, 244, 263-— 
267. It was probably to one of the sufferers in this dreadful calamity 



232 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


In Brabant they were no less exposed to the fanatical 
fury of the populace. In 1326, a converted Israelite at 
Mons was accused of having aimed a blow at a representa¬ 
tion of the Virgin, which was painted upon the abbey of 
Cambron ; and the wall was alleged to have been covered 
with blood, doubtless of the wounded picture ! The man was 
seized and put to the torture. Even the agony occasioned 
by this horrible punishment could not force from him any 
confession of guilt, and he was released. But an officious 
farrier, pretending to have in a dream received from Mary 
a commission to avenge her honor, challenged him to engage 
in single combat. He did not dare to decline, because such 
a refusal would have been construed into an acknowledg¬ 
ment of guilt, and accordingly the contest took place with¬ 
out the walls of Mons. The weapons of the combatants 
were cudgels, and an immense concourse of people crowded 
to witness the result. The Jew proved unequal in the 
fight to his sturdy antagonist, and was by a blow laid pros¬ 
trate on the ground. The multitude cried out that this was 
a judgment of God, making manifest the guilt of the daring 
wretch, who had previously added reiterated falsehoods 
to his original crime. They hung him up by the feet, and 
kindled a fire under him, in which to scorch him slowly to 
death. 

Nearly half a century after this horrible execution, a still 
more atrocious crime was committed by the mob of Brus¬ 
sels. There was a report spread throughout Brabant that 
the Jews had carried away from the principal church sixteen 
consecrated hosts, in order to pierce them with daggers 
and knives,—a practice of which they were often accused in 
the middle ages. The blood is said to have spouted from 
the mangled wafers, and an old woman denounced the per¬ 
petrators to a priest. Upon this there was a universal cry 

that a tombstone was erected at Strasburg, which was discovered in the 
last century, and bore an inscription in Hebrew, containing a praver that 
the soul of the deceased might be received into the number of the just 
in the garden of Eden. The expectation of a future life was the only 
consolation to persons whose condition was so wretched in this. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


233 


of horror; and the elders of the synagogue of Enghien 
were put to the torture, in order to wring from them a con¬ 
fession of the crime. Three of them were reserved for a 
yet more horrible fate : their flesh being torn from their 
bodies with red-hot pincers, they were on the 22d May, 
1370, burnt near the gate of Namur. One of these wretched 
men, named Jonathan, had acquired great wealth by his 
commercial speculations. The survivors were banished from 
Brabant, after being plundered of their effects, without any 
regard to their protestations of innocence ; the fact of being 
Hebrews was held to be a sufficient proof of their guilt. 
But the fanatics of that period, not content with these 
demonstrations of their cruelty, had resolved that the know¬ 
ledge of deeds, which they considered so glorious, should 
not be lost upon posterity. Eighteen pictures were painted 
for the church of St. Gudule at Brussels, in which were 
represented all the principal circumstances of the case, even 
to the execution of the three elders of the synagogue. 
Still more effectually to perpetuate the record of so noble a 
demonstration of zeal, a jubilee was instituted to take place 
every fifty years, in which the destruction of the Jews was 
to be celebrated by universal rejoicing. Such is still the 
fanatical spirit which prevails in the Netherlands, that at 
the last recurrence of this commemoration, (in 1820,) the 
people of Brussels engaged in it with a spirit truly worthy 
of the descendants of those murderers. The sixteen 
wounded hosts were carried in procession, contained in a 
casket adorned with precious stones ; the houses were hung 
with tapestry, and the streets strewed with flowers ; there 
were banquets, concerts, fireworks, a general illumination, 
and, in short, demonstrations of the most lively joy. Such 
is the spirit of popery, even in the nineteenth century ; such 
is the profane mummery w hich in Romish countries passes 
for devotion! * 

If, from the Low Countries, we direct our attention to 
England, we shall find small reason to congratulate ourselves 


* Deppmg, pp. 275, 276. 

20* 




234 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


upon the humanity of its inhabitants during the middle ages. 
In one respect the treatment of the Jews in this country was 
more disgraceful than in any other parts of Europe j for, 
while elsewhere, as in Spain and Germany, the sovereigns 
generally exerted themselves to repress the hostility of the 
clergy and people, the English kings, with hardly one excep¬ 
tion, showed themselves as thoroughly imbued with the 
persecuting spirit as any of their subjects. It is not known 
at what period the Jews entered this island ; but the first 
mention which is made of them is the time of the Saxon 
heptarchy. In the year 740, Egbricht, archbishop of York, 
forbade the Christians in his diocese to appear at Hebrew 
festivals. The laws of Edward the Confessor declare the 
Jews and their goods royal property ; and hence no one 
could interfere with them except by permission of the king. 
These laws were confirmed by William the Conqueror, in 
the fourth year of his reign. His successor, William Rufus, 
treated them with indulgence. He appointed, probably in a 
fit of caprice, a disputation to be held in his presence at 
London, between their rabbis and some divines ; having 
sworn that he would adhere to the faith of that party which 
should prove victorious in the contest. The Christian w riters 
affirm that their champions completely silenced their oppo¬ 
nents ; but the other party allege that unfair methods w r ere 
employed to browbeat the rabbis, and prevent them from 
making the best of their cause. However, no benefit seems 
to have resulted from this conference, for both parties 
remained in the same position ; and William, though he 
continued a believer, did not withdraw his protection from 
the Jews. When he was afterwards at Rouen, they com¬ 
plained to him of the conduct of the monks, who had forcibly 
baptized some of their brethren. They requested that he 
would take measures to cause them to return to the faith of 
their fathers ; and accompanied their petition by the offer 
of a large sum of money. Influenced by such reasons, 
Rufus not only listened favorably to their prayer, but prom¬ 
ised to endeavor to win back the new converts. We are, 
however, told only of a single effort which he made in per- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


235 


son, and that was unsuccessful. Stephen, one of their body, 
had given hirn a considerable gift for the restoration of his 
son to the Hebrew faith ; but the young man, when sum¬ 
moned into the royal presence, steadily maintained the 
religion, which, it would appear, had in his case been 
embraced with sincere conviction of its truth. The king 
pressed him hard, and even threatened him with the loss of 
his eyes if he continued obstinate. Undaunted by this me¬ 
nace, he replied that it was most unbecoming in a sovereign 
who professed the true faith to attempt to seduce any of his 
subjects into one which he must needs believe to be errone¬ 
ous. William was struck with the boldness of the youth, 
and desisted from his attempt. Stephen now demanded 
back his money ; but his majesty kept the half of it, as a 
compensation for the fruitless trouble which he had taken. 
He made the Jews farmers of the revenues of the vacant 
bishoprics,—a measure which gave deep offence to the clergy 
and people, who looked upon it as an act of sacrilegious 
impiety; In his reign also they were established in Oxford 
and London. In the former city they had three halls for the 
accommodation of students of their religion, and are said to 
have taught Hebrew to Christian as well as to Jewish 
scholars. Yet for a long time they were not allowed to have 
a burial-ground there ; their only cemetery was at St. Giles, 
Cripplegate, in the metropolis.* 

We hear nothing further of the Jews till the reign of 
Stephen, when, in 1135 they were accused of having cruci¬ 
fied a young man at Norwich. No persecution, however, is 
recorded to have followed this oft repeated charge. Henry 
11. granted them permission to have grave-yards in all the 
principal towns, in order to remedy the great inconvenience 
which resulted from their previously possessing only one 
burial place in the kingdom. But the enactments of that 
sovereign were not always favorable to them. At one period 
of his reign he gave them liberty to remain in his dominions, 
upon paying the sum of five thousand marks ; but when he 


* Depping, pp. 142—144. 




236 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


was making preparations for a crusade, they were assessed 
at sixty thousand pounds, while the whole body of his 
Christian subjects were required to pay no more than seventy 
thousand pounds. This tax was not levied, on account of 
his death, which frustrated the expedition. 

In the reign of Richard Cceur de Lion, the Jews were 
subjected to a far more terrible persecution. Those resident 
in London had amassed great riches, so that, although, to 
avoid popular odium, their houses had a very plain exterior, 
they were furnished with all the comforts and luxuries that 
the age could supply. It was the report of this wealth 
which in a great measure exasperated the people against 
them, and proved the cause of their ruin. At the coronation 
of Richard, which was celebrated with great magnificence, 
they had intended to be present, and to testify their loyalty 
by the splendor of their gifts to the sovereign. But they 
were forbidden to approach Westminster Abbey on that 
joyful day, chiefly, it is said, through the hostility of Baldwin, 
archbishop of Canterbury, who alleged that they might 
practise magical arts against the life of the king. Such as 
were resident on the spot, obeyed, but some of their breth¬ 
ren from the country w r ere resolved not to lose their trouble 
and expense in coming to see the spectacle ; and accordingly 
ventured into the church, trusting that the circumstance of 
their being strangers would secure them from detection. 
They were mistaken. The officers in attendance discovered 
them, beat them soundly with their staves, and dragged 
them from the Abbey, half dead with pain and terror. The 
news spread through the city ; and the mob, ever ready to 
commit outrages upon the detested Israelites, forced their 
way into their houses, and plundered them of the great 
treasures which they contained. The king, indignant at this 
outbreak of popular turbulence, ordered an investigation 
into the circumstances ; several of the ringleaders were ap¬ 
prehended, and three executed ; but such was the excited 
state of public feeling, that they were condemned, not for their 
violent assault upon the unoffending Jews, but for injuries 
inflicted upon others during the confusion of the riot. Two 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


237 


of them had robbed a man, pretending that they mistook 
him for an Israelite ; the third had set fire to the house of a 
Jew, and the flames had reached to the next, which belonged 
to a Christian. Such was the fanaticism of the times, that 
a contemporary historian, writing in his cloister, coolly 
returns thanks to God for having delivered the unbelievers 
into the hands of the faithful! 

When these were the sentiments deliberately professed in 
the seats of learning, we need not wonder that throughout 
the kingdom there was a general persecution of the wretched 
Hebrews. Preparations were making for that crusade which 
Richard afterwards conducted to the Holy Land ; and to the 
hatred which always existed in the hearts of the people, was 
thereby added the fury of military fanaticism. Before 
making war upon the Saracens abroad, the crusaders took 
an opportunity of testifying their zeal against the Israelites 
in their own country ; and at Norwich, Stamford, and St. 
Edmondsbury, they were plundered and massacred. But 
the most dreadful catastrophe which disgraced that fanatical 
time, occurred at York. There was a rich individual of 
that plaice, by name, Benedict, who, to save his life in the 
tumult at London, submitted to baptism, but was afterwards 
permitted by the king to return to Judaism. He died shortly 
after, from the effects of the ill-treatment which he had re¬ 
ceived. The news of his apostacy having reached his native 
city, the populace rushed to his house, plundered it, and 
murdered his wife and children, with some other persons 
who had taken refuge there from their fury. The rest of 
the Jews, anticipating the same fate for themselves, took 
possession of the castle, whither they conveyed their, most 
valuable effects. The governor at the time happened to be 
in the city ; on his return, he found the gates closed against 
him, and the Israelites, rendered desperate by their circum¬ 
stances, determined to stand a siege. Indignant at being 
thus excluded from his own fortress, he applied to the sheriff 
of the county for assistance to enable him to recover it. 
That functionary lent him a body of troops, but afterwards 
repented of his rashness, when he saw the rage of the popu- 


238 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


lace, and heard their savage threats of indiscriminate mas» 
sacre. He endeavored to recall the soldiers, but in vain ; 
and the clergy stirred up the besiegers to a most vigorous 
assault, crying out, “ Destroy the enemies of Christ ! 31 

One canon regular, of the Premonstratensian order, 
peculiarly distinguished himself by his exhortations, until he 
was struck dead by a huge stone thrown from the ramparts. 
At last the besieged found that they could no longer maintain 
their defence, and called a council to deliberate upon the 
course they ought to follow. They knew that they could 
expect no mercy from their assailants, who, previously too 
much disposed to treat them with cruelty, were now exas¬ 
perated to the utmost pitch of fury, by the obstinacy of the 
resistance which had been made. They therefore listened 
the more willingly to the advice of their rabbi, a foreigner, 
and deeply versed in the law ; who, in a most pathetic 
speech, counselled them to put an end to their lives, rather 
than tamely surrender the castle and submit to the insults 
and tortures which the ferocious multitude without were 
ready to inflict upon them. They buried their gold and 
silver, burnt their other effects, slew their wives and children, 
and then fell by their own hands. When the besiegers next 
morning renew r ed the assault, they beheld the castle in 
flames, and saw a few wretched creatures w ho had refused 
to join their brethren in their suicide, running to and fro 
upon the battlements, trembling lest they should perish in 
the conflagration which their more daring associates had 
occasioned. In the agony of their terror, they offered 
instantly to open the gates, and to submit to baptism. The 
terms were accepted, and the mob rushed in, but shamelessly 
violating the compact which they had just made, put to the 
sword every one whom they found alive. They then rushed 
to the cathedral, and demanded all the Jewish bonds and 
contracts which had been stored up there among the ar¬ 
chives ; and these they immediately threw into a large fire. 
Upon the death of the rightful owners, these debts would 
have fallen to the crown, and proved a rich source of reve¬ 
nue ; whence it has been surmised that it w r as indignation at 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


239 


the loss of this prize which incited Richard to order a strict 
investigation into the massacre at York. The governor and 
sheriff were deprived of their offices, but the ringleaders 
escaped to Scotland ; and it does not appear that any person 
suffered the just penalty of the law for an atrocious tumult, 
in which, according to the lowest computation, five hundred 
of the proscribed nation perished. 

When the king returned from his captivity, he made 
several laws with respect to the Jews, and formally recog¬ 
nized them as belonging to the crown. In order to prevent 
any fraud on their part, he ordered that all bonds and obli¬ 
gations should be drawn up in the presence of two Jewish 
and two Christian lawyers, two public notaries, and two 
inspectors commissioned by the crown ; all deeds were to be 
enrolled, and a fee was to be paid to the royal treasury for 
every such enrollment. Two copies of each bond were to 
be made, one of which was to remain in the possession of 
the creditor, the other was to be deposited among the ar¬ 
chives of the town where the deed was drawn up, in a chest 
secured by three padlocks, of one of which the key should 
be given to the Hebrew attornies. No deed was to be valid 
unless it were drawn up with all these formalities.* 

Richard’s successor, the weak and unprincipled John, at 
first showed himself very favorable to the Jews. He en¬ 
couraged them to settle in his dominions, by granting a 
number of privileges which they had not previously enjoyed. 
They were allowed to dwell where they pleased, to hold 
lands and fees, and take mortgages. In disputes with others 
they were to be tried by their own peers ; and their oaths 
were held to be of equal weight with those of the Christians. 
They might freely buy and sell every thing, with the excep¬ 
tion of the sacred vessels and other furniture belonging to 
the church ; while all the subjects of the realm were required 
to protect them and their effects, as the chattels of the king. 
For the charter which contained these and other favorable 
articles, they paid four thousand marks. Another statute 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. x. p. 638. Depping, p. 141—149, 177, 178. 



240 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


permitted them to have their suits determined by their own 
law. But the fickle tyrant did not long continue the pro¬ 
tector of the unfortunate Israelites. It would almost appear 
as if he had granted them privileges for the purpose of 
inveigling them into his power, that he might plunder and 
oppress them at pleasure. In the year 1210, he caused those 
in his dominions to be seized, confiscating their wealth to 
the exchequer ; and if they hesitated to give up their money, 
it was wrung from their reluctant grasp by the most cruel 
torments. An Israelite of Bristol, known to possess very 
great riches, was seized and carried off to one of the royal 
castles. He was then told that the king required ten thou¬ 
sand marks from him ; he refused to comply with the de¬ 
mand, and was next informed that, in addition to the loss of 
liberty, he would be daily deprived of a tooth, till he chose 
to assent to the royal will. For a week he continued obsti¬ 
nate, but when about to lose the eighth he yielded, and 
obtained his liberation by paying the sum required. In this 
calamitous reign, the Jews were not only exposed to the ca¬ 
pricious tyranny of the sovereign, but, as a part of the royal 
chattels, were plundered by the barons when they took up 
arms against the tyranny of John. Their treasures in Lon¬ 
don were seized, and their dwellings pulled down, in order 
that the materials might be employed in repairing the walls 
when the city was threatened with a siege by the exasperated 
king. 

Upon the accession of Henry III. they were released 
from prison, and restored to some of their former privileges ; 
but were required to wear two stripes of white cloth or 
parchment as a distinctive mark, upon their dress.* During 
his long reign, however, they were subjected to much an¬ 
noyance and persecution, both from king and people. In 


* “We find,” says Mr Turner, “their chief priest presented to the 
king after his election, and the king assenting to the appointment; and to 
another, called the Bishop of the Jews, his sacerdotal dignity was, for 
three marks of gold, restored to him, of which, for certain transgressions, 
he had been deprived.” 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


241 


the year 1233, he established in London a sort of alms-house 
for the reception of converted Israelites, who lived there 
without being required to follow any trade, being supported 
by funds set apart from the royal treasury. A considerable 
number, it is said, were induced to abjure their religion, 
tempted by the prospect of maintenance without personal 
exertion. This “ house of conversion,” as it was called, 
was founded by Henry, as a means of delivering his father’s 
soul from the flames of purgatory. But if, on this occasion, 
he expended a considerable sum upon the comforts of these 
Hebrew converts, or rather renegades, he took care to in¬ 
demnify himself amply by the exhorbitant taxes which he 
levied upon their brethren. From his improvidence and 
prodigality, he was frequently in need of money, and he 
could far more easily extort the sums which he required 
from his Jewish than his Christian subjects. Accordingly, 
at one time he obliged the former to pay a third part of 
their whole property to his treasurer ; two years after a 
second demand was made of eighteen thousand marks ; and 
at the expiration of four years more, ten thousand were 
wrested from the oppressed race. Very large sums were 
extorted from rich individuals. Thus the daughter of Ha- 
mon, a Jew of Hereford, paid to the king five thousand 
marks, on condition of being exempted from taxes ; and 
Aaron, a wealthy citizen of York, made a similar composi¬ 
tion by advancing one hundred marks a year. Yet this 
stipulation does not seem to have protected him from extra¬ 
ordinary exactions ; for he solemnly declared that his majes¬ 
ty had wrung from him in seven years no less than thirty 
thousand marks of silver, besides two hundred marks of 
gold which were presented to the queen. Some time after, 
the curious spectacle was presented to the English people of 
a Jewish parliament, summoned in regular form. The 
sheriffs were ordered to return six of the richest Israelites 
from the larger towns and two from the smaller ones ; and 
the house thus constituted was informed, on its assembling, 
that the sovereign, being greatly in want of money, required 
twenty thousand marks immediately to meet the demands on 
21 


242 


HISTORY OP THE JEWS. 


his exchequer. This gracious intimation having been made, 
the sitting was dissolved, and the members sent home to pro¬ 
cure the requisite sum with the utmost expedition. It 
appears that it was not levied soon enough to please the 
needy and impatient monarch, for he ordered the collectors 
to be seized, along with their wives and children, and thrown 
into prison, while their goods and chattels were forfeited to 
the crown. 

So many demands were made upon this injured people by 
Henry, that it seems wonderful they should have ever had it 
in their power to accumulate riches ; but the apparent mys¬ 
tery is explained by the exhorbitant rate of interest which 
they exacted from their debtors. At this time fifty per 
cent, was considered by no means an immoderate charge ; 
and we are told that some Oxford students deemed them¬ 
selves leniently dealt with, by being required to pay only 
two pence weekly on a debt of twenty shillings,—a rate 
which amounted to forty-three and one third per cent, per 
annum ! In this reign, however, the Jews found very for¬ 
midable rivals in the practice of usury. These were the 
Caorsini or Cahursins, a class of men who made themselves 
so odious by their exactions, that Dante, in his Inferno, has 
ranked them in wickedness along with the inhabitants of 
Sodom. The place from which they received their name 
has been generally supposed to be Cahors, in France ; of 
which Benvenuto d’lmola, an Italian commentator on the 
poem just mentioned, remarks, that almost all its citizens 
devoted themselves to money-dealing. But French writers, 
conceiving that the honor of their country is at stake, have 
indignantly disclaimed the Caorsini, as aliens from their 
soil, and have pointed to the enactments of the thirteenth 
century, which distinctly declare them to have been foreign¬ 
ers. Depping supposes that they were originally from 
Piedmont, which is known to have been at that period re¬ 
markable for the number of bankers it sent forth into Dau- 
phiny, Switzerland, and other neighboring districts, and 
thinks that their name was derived from the town of Caorsa 
or Cavonis, in that country. Be this as it may, it is certain 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


243 


that the English Jews in the reign of Henry III. bitterly 
complained of these rivals ; and alleged the poverty thus oc¬ 
casioned as a sufficient reason for exempting them from the 
enormous contributions to his majesty’s service, which they 
were continually called upon to make. 

After thus, upon numerous occasions, extorting large 
sums from his Israelitish subjects, the king delegated his 
brother Richard, Earl of Cornwall, to make a fresh demand. 
Through their chief rabbi, Elias, they made the most piteous 
representations of their poverty ; and the prince, more mer¬ 
ciful than his royal brother, accepted a much smaller sum than 
he at first intended to exact. In the midst of these oppressions, 
a report was spread that the Jews of Lincoln had crucified a 
Christian child, called Hugh, because he had sung hymns in 
their quarter in honor of the Virgin. The body, being found 
in a ditch, into which it had been thrown after the murder, 
was conveyed to the cathedral and buried with great pomp. 
The unfortunate boy was canonized, and pilgrims came from 
all parts of the kingdom to pay their devotions at the shrine of 
the young martyr. It had been well for the sake of human¬ 
ity, if even this mummery, despicable and profane as it was, 
had been all; but the zeal of the times was not so easily 
satisfied. A number of Israelites were seized, and, after a 
mockery of a trial, put to death for a crime, of which preju¬ 
diced judges alone could deem them guilty. 

The oppression on the part of the king did not secure the 
Jews from molestation by the barons, when they raised the 
standard of rebellion against their sovereign. They were 
accused of having sided with Henry, and thus proving them¬ 
selves hostile to the liberties of England. Men, whose chief 
object was the peaceful accumulation of wealth, were not 
likely to take an interest in the disputes between the mon¬ 
arch and his nobles ; but the report was believed, and made 
the ground of spoliation after the battle of Lewes, in which 
lie and his son were made prisoners by the insurgents. Nor 
did these sufferings for his sake render him, after his libera¬ 
tion, more favorable to them ; for one of the last acts of his 
reign was to disqualify them from possessing any tenements, 


244 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


except those which they inhabited at the time. If these, in¬ 
deed, became ruinous or inconvenient, they might pull them 
down, and build others on the old foundations. They were 
despoiled, besides, of all lands and manors, and such as they 
held by mortgage were to be restored to the Christian own¬ 
ers, without any interest on the bonds. Henry likewise 
ordered the arrears of all charges to be instantly paid, 
threatening the defaulters with imprisonment. It is related, 
that such was the distress occasioned by this peremptory 
edict, that even their rival usurers, the Caorsini and the 
clergy, pitied the unhappy Israelites.* 

During the reign of Henry the Third, much odium had 
been excited against them by accusations, probably not ill- 
founded, of their clipping and adulterating the coin of the 
realm. They seem to have continued the same odious and 
dangerous practice under Edward the First; for in one year 
no fewer than two hundred and eighty were executed in 
London for this offence. The king did not treat them more 
mercifully than his father had done, for one of his first acts 
was to impose a poll tax, which extended to women and 
children. Exile was the punishment of those who were un¬ 
able or unwilling to pay the sum required, and whatever 
property they possessed was escheated to the crown. Shortly 
after, an act of parliament forbade all usury, and thus ex¬ 
cluded the Jews from their chief means of acquiring wealth. 
Even all previous debts to them were to be cancelled, upon 
the payment of the principal, and no interest was allowed to 
be received. They were permitted to have recourse to 
other employments, such as merchandise, farming, and 
manual labor ; but the profits of these occupations were 
only a poor compensation for the enormous gains which they 
had been accustomed to make by trade in bullion. Yet 
even these branc es of industy they w e not long permit¬ 
ted to pursue in peace ; for in the year 1290, Edward issued 
orders that they should all depart from the realm. They 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. xix. p. 677—680. Depping, p. 209—215. 
Turner’s History of England, vol. ii. pp. 93, 94. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 245 

were allowed sufficient money to carry them into other coun¬ 
tries ; but the rest of their effects were declared forfeited. 
They were to be kindly treated until they quitted the shores 
of England ; but this injunction of the king was not obeyed, 
and they were subjected to much insult and injury from the 
populace, always glad to vent their hatred upon them. The 
number of exiles is variously estimated from fifteen thousand 
to sixteen thousand five hundred. The libraries belonging 
to the synagogues, which were very rich in Hebrew manu¬ 
scripts, were appropriated by the convents The most cele¬ 
brated were those of Stamford and Oxford, the latter of 
which is stated to have afforded much information to the 
famous Roger Bacon; but this seems doubtful, for he died 
at a very advanced age, shortly after the expulsion of the 
Israelites. The edict now mentioned continued in force 
during nearly four centuries ; and throughout this period, if 
any Jew visited England, or resided in it, he did so secretly, 
and at the hazard of his life.* 


CHAPTER XV. 

Jews in Naples—They are generally protected by the Popes—Council of 
Constance—Oppression of the Jews in the north of Italy—Establish¬ 
ment of the Monte di Pieta —Preachings of Bernardino Thomitano—• 
The Jews favored at Florence—Jews of Leghorn—Adventures of Abar- 
banel—The Jews expelled from .Naples—David and Solomon Molchu— 
Jews of Ferrara—The Venetian Government favors and protects the 
j ews —Jews at Genoa and CafFa.—From A. D. 1500 to A. D. 1800. 

We may now revert to the condition of the Jews in Italy. 
The great number of states into which that country was 
divided, during the middle ages, prevented any general 
measures of persecution from being adopted against them • 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. xix. p. 680. Depping, pp. 346, 347. 
21 * 





246 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


and hence, if through caprice or bigotry, they were oppressed 
in one district, they might easily retire to another, where 
they would be out of the reach of cruelty and injustice. One 
of the few cases of their suffering from popular violence, oc¬ 
curred in the thirteenth century at Naples, where no traces 
of them are found before the year 1200. In that kingdom 
they had a great number of synagogues, and many learned 
rabbis ; they had great influence at court, on account of the 
advances of money which they had made at different times ; 
but, although protected by the government and the nobility, 
they were objects of especial hatred to the populace, proba¬ 
bly on account of their extortions. Taking advantage of the 
sovereign’s death, the mob rose against them, massacred 
several, and compelled the rest to save themselves by adopt¬ 
ing the outward profession of Christianity. We are told by 
Samuel Usque, a rabbinical author, that a king of Naples, 
having exhausted his treasures in war, was relieved in his 
hour of distress by the wealth of his Hebrew subjects. On 
his death-bed he charged his son and successor to pay his 
debt to them ; but the young prince was persuaded that the 
most pious as well as the most convenient method of obeying 
his father’s injunctions, was to save their souls by obliging 
them to submit to baptism. The advice of the priestly coun¬ 
sellors was given in perfect accordance with the spirit of 
popery, which seeks, with all the proselytizing zeal of the 
Pharisees of old, for outward conformity to its ritual; but 
has ever shown itself, in its conversions at home and abroad, 
little solicitous about a genuine change of the heart, and a 
sober conviction of the understanding. 

In the states of the Church, the condition of the Jews de¬ 
pended upon the personal character of the pontiffs. Occa¬ 
sionally persecuted by a bigoted pope, they were more fre¬ 
quently protected by the occupants of the Holy See, from 
motives of policy or humanity. In the year 1247, Innocent 
IV., in order to put an end to the continual accusations 
against them, as murderers of Christian children, enacted, 
that every person who brought forward such a charge, with¬ 
out being able to support it by the evidence of three Israel- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


247 


ites and as many Christians, should himself suffer the penalty 
of the law as an assassin. It would have been well for the 
peace of society in the middle ages, if similar laws had been 
made in every state. Shortly after, the monastic order of 
the Minorites, who every where displayed great zeal for the 
interests of Romanism, endeavored, as a preliminary step to 
their conversion, to prevent the Jews from practising the 
rites and ceremonies of their faith. The latter claimed the 
protection of the Holy See, which was then filled by Nicho¬ 
las III., a pontiff who, on this occasion, evinced a spirit of 
wise toleration. He issued a bull, in which he enjoined all 
Christians to allow their Hebrew brethren to enjoy in peace 
the privileges of which they were already possessed, forbade 
the molestation of them in any way, and denounced the 
penalty of ecclesiastical censure against all who should be 
found guilty of disobedience to his commands. This pope, 
however, was by no means indifferent to their conversion ; 
for, in the same'year, he allowed the provincial prior of the 
preachers of Lombardy to assemble the professors of Juda¬ 
ism whenever he judged proper, to address exhortations and 
discourses to them, and endeavor, by eveiy fair means, to 
win them over to the true faith. Although this enactment 
was well meant, it could not fail to occasion much annoy¬ 
ance to the Jews ; while it partially nullified the effects of 
the previous judicious edict, which the pontiff had issued 
against the intolerant proceedings of the Minorite friars. In 
the year 1363, Urban V., in similar circumstances, published 
a bull almost identical in terms with that of his predecessor, 
forbidding all forcible conversion and molestation. 

The learning which many of the Italian rabbis possessed, 
rendered it necessary for the defenders of Christianity to ac¬ 
quire Hebrew, in order to be able to dispute advantageously 
with them. Pope Clement V., therefore, in 1320, ordered 
the institution of professorships for that language in the 
universities. A less honorable method of combatting Juda¬ 
ism was devised by John XXII., who commanded all copies 
of the Talmud to be burnt ; but this edict appears to have 
been very ill obeyed. Rabbinical learning continued to 


243 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


flourish, especially at Bologna, where there was an academy 
which produced many distinguished men ; and some copies 
of the sacred writings, transcribed by the rabbis of this 
school, are still preserved in that city. There a rich family, 
called Hannanim, (which pretended to trace up its genealogy 
to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus,) founded a mag¬ 
nificent synagogue at the end of the fourteenth century. 
About the same period, the Jews of that place presented to 
the Dominican inquisitor, Emeric, a Bible, which they pre¬ 
tended to have been written by the hand of Ezra.* 

The Council of Constance convened in the beginning of 
the fifteenth century. As previous ecclesiastical synods had 
shown themselves hostile to their nations, and as this assem¬ 
bly had evinced its bigotry by the murder of John Huss and 
Jerome of Prague, the Jews of that town, trembling for 
their own safety, endeavored to conciliate the pope, Martin 
V., by doing homage to him, and presenting him with a copy 
of their law. Historians differ as to the manner in which 
this obeisance was received. Some assert that the pontiff 
disdainfully rejected their present, saying, “ though you 
possess the law, you will not understand it aright.” Accor¬ 
ding to others, it was the emperor who taunted them with 
the words, “you have good and just institutions, indeed, but 
you do not observe them.” Had the Jews dared, they might 
justly have reminded him, that he had no scruples in violating 
the law of God and man, by committing Huss to the flames, 
after granting him a safe conduct. The Jews were more 
fortunate than the two Protestant martyrs, whose condem¬ 
nation has stamped infamy upon the proceedings of the 
council ; for they were merely included in the bull of excom¬ 
munication, which was issued against infidels, heretics and 
schismatics in general. The members also mitigated the 
oppression directed against those who, on embracing Chris¬ 
tianity, were spoiled of their goods in order to indemnify the 
church for the loss it would sustain by being deprived of the 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. xvii. p. 668—670. Depping, p. 459—468 
Beugnot, prem. part, p. 156—161. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


249 


taxes which they had previously paid ; or, as the clergy of 
the times pretended, to induce them to give up the practice 
of usury, by taking away the riches acquired in that unlawful 
trade. Cardinal Dailly wished this absurd custom to be 
altogether abolished ; but the fathers of Constance would 
only agree to enact, that in future the converts should be 
required to part with no more than half of their goods, 
alleging that their regard for the revenues of the church 
would not permit them to go further. 

Pope Eugenius IV., in 1442, issued a severe edict against 
the Jews. He forbade them to practise usury, to exercise 
any public employment, or to eat and drink with believers. 
He subjected them to the payment of tithes for all kinds of 
articles, and enjoined them to build no new synagogues, and 
not even to enlarge the old ones. Christians were prohib¬ 
ited from leaving them any legacies in their wills. About 
thirty years later, those of Trent were exposed to persecu¬ 
tion from the popular fanaticism. Three of them were said 
to have murdered an infant, in the same manner as they 
were commonly reported to commit such crimes. Had there 
been any attention paid to justice in this matter, only the 
three ought to have been seized ; and, if found guilty, con¬ 
demned. But this process was too slow and regular to 
satisfy an infuriated mob. All the Jews in the city were 
apprehended and thrown into prison, from which they were 
taken only to be subjected to torture or death. In the 
following year a similar charge was brought against those 
resident at Milan, and they also were imprisoned ; but the 
duke did not gratify the malice of his subjects by inflicting 
capital punishment, contenting himself with making them 
pay a sum of twenty thousand pieces of gold as the price 
of their liberty 

There were other adversaries of the Jews who did not 
aim at their lives, but endeavored to put a stop in some 
measure to their excessive gains. These were the founders 
of the Monte di Pieta, Mounts of Piety. A Franciscan 
monk, named Barnabas, was induced, by the general com¬ 
plaints of the exorbitant usury exacted by the Israelites, to 


250 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


contrive an institution which might, to some extent at least, 
remove the hardship of that oppressive rate. While 
preaching at Perugia, before Pius II., he first proposed the 
establishment of a bank, from which small sums should be 
supplied to the poor, on the deposit of pledges, and at a rate 
of interest so low as merely to defray the necessary expenses 
of the institution. Accordingly this bank was immediately 
organized, and afterwards received the sanction of the pope ; 
it was denominated monte di pieta, because it was consid¬ 
ered an act of piety to save poor Christians from the fraud 
and oppression of the enemies of the Gospel. A few years 
afterwards, the city of Mantua followed the example of 
Perugia, and established a similar institution, which was 
placed under the management of twelve directors, of whom 
four were to be clergymen, two nobles, two lawyers or phy¬ 
sicians, two merchants, and two citizens of other professions. 
The ecclesiastics were members for life, the laymen were 
elected only for two years, and half of them went out annu¬ 
ally. We are not so particularly informed as to the compo¬ 
sition of the boards of management in other cities and 
towns ; but it seems probable that the example of Mantua 
was so far followed as to give the clergy a considerable 
influence in the direction of these banks, which soon became 
very numerous throughout Italy. 

However this might be, it is certain that the friars were 
most active in establishing the monte di pieta. The most 
distinguished and successful of them was Bernardino Tomi- 
tano, a native of Feltre, a very eloquent Franciscan monk ; 
who travelled through Italy, preaching against usury, and 
actively promoting the formation of clubs for the accommo- 
tion of the poor. If he had confined his efforts to this object 
alone, he might have been regarded as a useful member of 
society ; but he appears to have been actuated by a bigoted 
hatred of the Jews, and his harangues often excited the 
populace against them. At Florence, the magistrates were 
obliged to order him to leave the city, on account of the 
danger to which the Israelite inhabitants had been exposed 
by his inflammatory discourses. A monkish writer, in re- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


251 


cording this occurrence, states that the Florentine rulers 
had been bribed by the Jews ; so impossible did it appear to 
him that they could have been influenced by motives of hu¬ 
manity or policy in the order which they had given! At 
Sienna, a Hebrew physician had been long resident, and his 
reputation was so well established, that he received a salary 
from the civic authorities for the care he took of the public 
health. When Bernardino arrived, he made every effort to 
irritate the inhabitants against this inoffensive and useful 
man ; he raked together every falsehood which malice could 
invent or credulity believe ; and, among other stories, re¬ 
lated that one of his profession at Avignon, while on his 
deathbed, had boasted with the utmost satisfaction of having 
poisoned some thousands of Christians! Such tales were 
not without their effect, and the most revolting instances of 
fanaticism were the result. A nobleman had a son danger¬ 
ously ill, and wished to have recourse to the skill of the 
physician, but his wife strenuously opposed his desire, de¬ 
claring that it was better their child should die than owe his 
recovery to the drugs of an unbeliever! 

At Lucca, the zealous Franciscan experienced great oppo¬ 
sition, but his perseverance enabled him to surmount every 
obstacle. When he began to inveigh against those who 
took the Jews under their protection, the citizens reminded 
him of the bulls of the popes, which were favorable to that 
people. Bernardino was not disconcerted by this weighty 
argument ; he boldly asserted that the edict of Nicholas III., 
which appears to have been especially brought forward by 
his adversaries, had been obtained from him by fraud, and 
signed without his beinsr aware of its contents. He then 
quoted various papal decrees, which were very hostile to the 
Hebrews. The Lucchese next brought a distinguished theo¬ 
logian from Florence to refute his arguments; but this 
person was either not very zealous in the cause which he 
undertook to defend, or did not support it fo the satisfaction 
of the inhabitants, for they proceeded to found a bank for 
the poor at the public expense. A wealthy capitalist, who 
nad been formerly associated with the Israelites, and had 


252 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


vigorously opposed the establishment of the monte dipieta, 
contributed forty thousand pieces of gold to its funds, when 
he saw that his resistance could not prevent its institution. 

Bernardino seldom met with such determined opposition 
as at Lucca ; in most of the Italian cities and towns the 
exactions of the Jews had prepared the minds of the inhab¬ 
itants to give a favorable reception to his exertions. Thus, 
at Placentia, where the people were subjected to the enor¬ 
mous rate of cent, per cent., we may readily imagine that 
the institution of a monte di pieta was a matter of no great 
difficulty. Rome and Naples were among the last cities 
which adopted these charitable establishments, as they did 
not possess them till towards the middle of the sixteenth 
century. The Dominicans, always jealous of their rivals, 
the Franciscans, inveighed against the banks for the poor, 
calling them monte di impieta; and the pope, deeming it 
proper to interfere, gave his express sanction to the estab¬ 
lishments in question, declaring them useful, and menacing 
with excommunication all who should oppose them. Similar 
institutions were organized in Germany ; and, in order to 
give free scope to them, the Jews were sometimes either 
banished, or forbidden to practise usury. Yet in many 
places, although established at first with great zeal, they 
appear to have speedily fallen into decay, and disappeared 
altogether. 

There are various reasons which may account for a want 
of success in these monte di pieta , proportioned to the ex¬ 
pectations of their enthusiastic founder. They could only 
be instituted in large towns ; they were subjected to regula¬ 
tions often severe, or even oppressive ; they involved a 
public confession of poverty from those who took advantage 
of them ; and borrowers were required to prove that their 
deposits were their own property. These circumstances did 
not exist in the case of the common lenders, who were con¬ 
sequently still found too useful to be dispensed with.* 


* Depping, pp. 468—470, 475—481. Beugnot, prem. part, p. 162—164 
bcc. part, pp. 94—97, J03, 104. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


253 


Florence had risen to the first rank among the cities of 
Italy, and the historian Muratori ascribes its elevation, in a 
great measure, to its practice of usury on a large scale. 
The Christians of Florence gave protection to their Jewish 
brethren, who long flourished there in peace and security, 
and were occasionally chosen to fill situations of trust and 
honor ; for, in 1414, a banker of that religion was sent as 
ambassador to Visconti, duke of Milan. That haughty 
prince, refusing to give him an audience, ordered him to 
transact business with his secretary. The republic felt itself 
affronted by this insult offered to its envoy, and immediately 
declared war. 

A state which had shown such kindness and consideration 
to its Jewish subjects, might be expected to receive with 
humanity their brethren who were exiled from other coun¬ 
tries ; and so in fact it proved. When the Medici founded 
Leghorn, whose well chosen situation marked it out as a 
place fitted to become an emporium of commerce, they as¬ 
signed a quarter in it to the Jews recently expelled from 
Spain and Portugal, who established themselves so firmly 
there, that they have continued ever since in a state of pros¬ 
perity. They were permitted by the Florentine government 
to elect a senate of their own, who should possess the power 
of regulating all their affairs. They still retain a mark of 
their origin, by preserving the Spanish language in their 
liturgy, and they celebrate their religious festivals with 
great pomp. Their wealth enables them to maintain a 
synagogue, several schools, and a hospital : their mer¬ 
chants have often acquired considerable fortunes in their 
commercial speculations, especially with Africa ; and though 
they are obliged to reside in the ghetto or Jews’ suburb, 
they possess a great part of the city and the lands in its 
neighborhood. Leghorn is now one of the most flourishing 
settlements of the Jews in Europe ; and they still retain 
there that prosperity, which, under the Medici, made it a 
proverb that a man might as safely strike the grand duke as 
an Israelite. 

In the kingdom of Naples, that people were not treated 

22 


254 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


with the same favor as at Florence and its dependencies ; 
on the contrary, they were sometimes exposed to arbitrary 
exactions by the prince. For example, about the year 
1428, the Minorites accused them of having induced the 
Sultan of Egypt to take away their chapel at Jerusalem, in 
order to convert it into a synagogue. The accusation was 
probably false, but, at all events, the monks succeeded, bv 
lavishing presents in the proper quarter, in recovering their 
edifice ; for both Pope Martin V., and Queen Joanna II., of 
Naples, imposed considerable fines upon the Jews in their 
dominions, for the purpose, as they alleged, of reimbursing 
the friars for the expenses which they had incurred. In the 
year 1456, the Neapolitan Israelites were subjected to a 
new tribute for a different purpose. It would appear that 
their legitimate sovereign had, for some reason or other, 
temporarily relinquished his rights over them ; for this tax 
was levied by the commissioner of Pope Calixtus III., with 
the design of being applied to defray the expenses of a war 
with the Turks, who had lately struck terror into all Europe 
by the taking of Constantinople. The papal collector was 
directed to levy from the Jews in the two Sicilies, the tithe 
of all their goods, movable and immovable, and to make 
them give up all the proceeds of their usurious dealings ; he 
was, moreover, empowered to make use both of the eccle¬ 
siastical and secular arms. It seems that this power of the 
Roman pontiff over them ceased with the occasion, for we 
hear no more of any exertions of his authority.* 

“ The most distinguished of the Jews who had been ban¬ 
ished from Spain, was Abarbanel.” Abra Banel, or Don 
Isaac, called also Abravanel, Ben Judah, by contraction,- 
was the most celebrated of all the Spanish rabbis ; he 
descended from the ancient and honorable family of Abra- 
banel, which was of Hebrew origin. Though this family 
had always adhered to the religion of their forefathers, they 
had long been held noble in Spain, and permitted to assume 
the patrician title of Don, which in those times was strictly 


* Depping, pp. 481—487. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


255 


confined to men of noble descent. Indeed, Abrabanel him¬ 
self boasts that this illustrious family was of royal blood, and 
of the house of David ; and he quotes as his evidence the 
author of “ Shebet Jehuda,” who states that this family first 
appeared in Seville, and then asserts its royal origin ; “ for,” 
says the Shebet Jehuda, “ a certain Spanish king, named 
Pyrrhus, in the days of Nebuchadonoser, to whose assistance 
he had led an auxiliary force, brought back Hebrew captives 
into Spain, into that part which is called Andalusia, and 
came to the city of Toledo ; but that portion of the Hebrews 
who had inhabited within the third wall of Jerusalem, and 
were of the blood royal, he took to Seville.” From Seville 
this family was dispersed over various parts of Spain and 
Portugal, but the main branch seems to have settled in Lis¬ 
bon, then a flourishing city, where Rabbi Isaac Abrabanel 
was born, A. M. 5197, (A. D. 1437.) His parents, who 
were rich, spared no expense in his education ; and he being 
naturally of a most acute and ardent disposition, and gifted 
with a wonderful power of application, became well versed 
in all the learning of the time, and especially in the Holy 
Scriptures, and the writings of the rabbis. Nor was he want¬ 
ing in any of those higher qualities which form a great man, 
and lead to distinction : to the acuteness and subtilty of the 
Jewish character, he added the gravity and courtesy of the 
Spanish hidalgo ; he possessed a peculiar tranquillity of 
mind and an aptitude for business, which are not often 
joined with profound learning. When he was twenty years 
of age he began his expositions in the synagogue at Lisbon, 
and gave lectures on the book of Deuteronomy. These 
lectures formed the foundation of his valuable commentary 
on Deuteronomy, though they were lost for many years ; 
and he only recovered them, to his great joy, in the year 
1495, at Corfu, at a time when, giving up other studies, he 
applied himself with all his power to complete this work. 
By his profound knowledge and lucid expositions of the 
Scriptures, he earned himsell the title of Rov, the most 
flattering which his nation could bestow. The king of Por¬ 
tugal, Alphonso V., was so convinced of his superior pru 


256 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


deuce and wisdom, that he had frequent recourse to his 
advice in time of war. On the death of Alphonso, in 1481, 
his son and successor, John II., moved thereto by the bigotry 
of the age, or as Father Bartolocci expresses it, knowing 
the malice and wickedness of this Jew’s disposition, ban¬ 
ished him from his presence, together with all the minis¬ 
ters of the late king, under the pretence of their having 
conspired to deliver the kingdom to the Spaniards. Abra- 
banel, knowing how little scrupulous Catholic kings were in 
those days about sacrificing Jews on the slightest grounds, 
wisely resolved not to await the next move of his enemies, 
and he fled by night into the kingdom of Castile. By dili¬ 
gent application to business he had acquired great wealth, 
which was all confiscated ; but what seems to have vexed 
him most was the loss of his books, and among the rest, 
the MSS. of his lectures on Deuteronomy. The fame of 
his high qualities having accompanied or followed him 
to Spain, he was, in 1484, received with great favor at 
the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Here also he applied 
himself to mercantile speculation, Bartolocci says, to usury, 
and soon acquired a large fortune. It was now at the age 
of forty-seven that he began his commentaries on the earlier 
prophets, which he finished in the space of four months : he 
seems to have lived in Spain with great pomp, assuming all 
the state of a Spanish grandee, until the year 1492, when 
the decree was promulgated by Ferdinand and Isabella, by 
which all Jews were banished from their dominions, and 
their property was confiscated to the crown. Abrabanel, 
involved in the common ruin, embarked with his wife and 
children on the Mediterranean, and landed in the city of Na¬ 
ples, then, as now, the capital of the two Sicilies, where his 
genius and great political experience soon opened him a 
way to the court of king Ferdinand, and to the royal favor. 
Here, at the age of fifty-six, he wrote his admirable com¬ 
mentaries on the Books of the Kings, while, at the same 
time, he was accumulating a new fortune by assiduous and 
successful application to business. But while Abrabanel 
was enjoying tranquillity at Naples, and was busy on other 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


257 


works which have preserved his name, the news arrived 
that Charles VIII. of France was preparing an expedition 
for the invasion of Naples. This army, in the bitterness of 
his mind, Abrabanel calls “ Zebub Melehc Isarphs,” ( u the 
flies of the king of France.”')—Preface to Deuteronomy. 
But before the French king arrived, Ferdinand died, and 
Alphonso II. reigned in his stead, A. D. 1494. The French 
occupied the principal fortresses almost without firing a gun, 
and gained possession of almost the whole kingdom of Na¬ 
ples. Alphonso, seized with a panic, fled into Sicily, and 
Abrabanel followed his fortunes and dwelt with him at Mes¬ 
sina, where Alphonso died in the following year, 1795. 

Although Abrabanel himself had left Naples, his commer¬ 
cial establishment was still maintained there ; and its affairs 
were directed by his son Samuel, a man at once rich, 
learned, and munificent, who spent a large portion of his 
wealth in acts of charity. It may have been in consequence 
of the popularity which his beneficence had procured for 
him, that he was allowed to remain in safety while the edict 
of banishment was rigidly enforced against the other Israel¬ 
ites. He fondly cherished the hope of seeing them return to 
a land where in former days they had enjoyed peace and 
prosperity ; and his wife Ben-Venida exerted herself so suc¬ 
cessfully with the ladies of the court in favor of her country¬ 
men, that they petitioned the emperor, Charles the Fifth, to 
recall the exiles. That prince was at first disposed to listen 
to their request, and several Jews took advantage of his 
favorable sentiments, to steal back into the kingdom. At 
the end of a few years, how r ever, the emperor, influenced by 
bisroted counsellors, issued orders to all the Israelites in his 
Italian dominions to depart without delay. They obeyed, 
and retired into Turkey, the States of the Church, and such 
other countries as were still open to them. 

Abrabanel quitting Sicily, sailed to Corfu, but he remained 
there only one year, after which he returned to the kingdom 
of Naples, and fixed his abode at Monopoli, a maritime 
tow r n of Apulia. At Corfu, he began to write his commen¬ 
taries on the latter prophets. He lived at Monopoli for 

22 * 


253 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


about seven years in great tranquillity, devoting himself 
almost entirely to his studies, and here, between the years 
1496 and 1503, he completed many of his most celebrated 
works. In 1508, he left his peaceful home at Monopoli, and 
sailed to Venice, for the purpose of negotiating a commer¬ 
cial treaty between the king of Portugal and the Venetian 
republic, as regarded the trade in spices. At Venice, he 
wrote his commentaries on Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the 
twelve minor prophets, and he remained there until his 
death, which took place A. D. 1508, or, according to the 
Jewish computation, A. M. 5268, at the age of seventy-one. 
His body was carried to Padua, and buried in the ancient 
cemetery of the Jews, without the gates of the city ; within 
eight days afterwards, R. Jacob Mintz departed this life, and 
was buried by the side of his friend Abrabanel. In the year 
1509, the city of Padua being besieged by the Imperialists, 
the Jewish cemetery was entirely destroyed, and a highway 
opened through it, so that no vestiges of the tomb of Abra¬ 
banel remained. Don Isaac left three sons by one wife, 
Judah, Joseph, and Samuel, who all seem to have been 
worthy of their father. Judah, his first born, better known 
as Les Hebrseus, is spoken of as a learned philosopher, a 
skilful physician, and an elegant poet. Joseph, his second 
son, though not a man of great learning, was most highly 
esteemed : he never left his father, even in the seasons of 
his greatest adversities, and in him the promise annexed to 
the commandment was fulfilled, for he lived in peace, having 
survived his father many years. Samuel, who was also 
celebrated for his learning, became a convert to the Chris¬ 
tian religion, at Ferrara, where he was baptized Alphonso, 
after the duke of that name. AbrabanePs real greatness 
and intellectual power are shown in the important works 
which he has left to posterity ; and we must form a high 
estimate of his abilities, when we consider that his life was 
not that of a retired student, but of a busy man of the 
world, a courtier, and one who was engaged in the pursuit 
of wealth, in which he was so successful. Even his biogra¬ 
pher, Bartolocci, while he calls him a man of the most cor- 


HISTORY OF THE JFWS. 


259 


rupt mind, (vir perspicui, des pessini ingenii,) a blasphemer, 
and other hard names, is evidently struck with admiration 
ot his high qualities : he says that he was a man of most 
penetrating mind, indefatigable, much accustomed to fasting, 
sleeping little, so that he often passed whole nights at his 
studies ; a diligent, though often a false expounder of the 
Holy Scriptures, and of such facility with his pen, that his 
expositions of some books of Scripture were written in a few 
days. But Bartolocci, himself a man of profound learning, 
could not do otherwise than to respect a man like Don Isaac ; 
at the same time he could not forget that he himself was a 
Cistertian monk of the congregation of St. Bernard, and in 
that character he could not pass over the severe blows which 
Abrabanel aims at the Roman Catholic clergy in some of 
his commentaries, especially that on Daniel and the latter 
prophets. Indeed, he spared neither popes nor cardinals, 
but he derived arguments against Christianity from the scan¬ 
dalous corruptions of the court of Rome. 

Not long after, a Jew named David, a man of considerable 
eloquence, came into Europe from Asia. He was animated 
with a burning zeal for Judaism, and every where sought to 
gain proselytes to it. Among others he converted Solomon 
Molehu, secretary of the Portuguese king, who was privately 
circumcised, and became a very able defender of the faith 
which he had thus espoused. He was elected by David as 
his coadjutor in his missionary operations, and in conjunction 
they visited various kingdoms of Europe, and even ventured 
into the courts of Francis I. and Charles V. This rashness 
cost them dear, as the emperor caused them, to be appre¬ 
hended. Molehu was condemned to be burned alive ; and, 
in order to prevent his making any impression by his elo¬ 
quence upon the crowd assembled to witness his execution, 
his mouth was gagged as he was conducted to the stake. 
His death took place at Mantua in 1533. The other was 
spared for the present, but was kept in prison until Charles 
left Italy for Spain, when he was taken along with him, and 
made one of the victims of an auto da fe. 

The duke of Ferrara had, in 1496, received the Hebrew 


260 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


exiles from Portugal with favor, merely requiring them to 
wear a little yellow circle upon their breasts, as a mark of 
distinction from Christians. Upwards of half a century they 
continued to dwell in safety and peace ; but in 1551 the 
plague broke out in Ferrara, and the people loudly accused 
them of having introduced it. In order to prevent worse 
consequences which might have arisen from the popular 
fanaticism, the duke was obliged to order the unhappy Isra¬ 
elites to quit his dominions. Enfeebled by the disease, they 
could scarcely drag themselves to the vessels, which were 
appointed to convey them to other countries. Some of them 
fell into the hands of pirates ; others, after having been re¬ 
pulsed from all the ports of the Adriatic, found a hospitable 
reception from their brethren at Pesaro. 

The wise government of Venice had long extended its 
protection to the Jews, whose usefulness they fully appre¬ 
ciated. Their intention, in tolerating them, as announced 
in several edicts, was to furnish their subjects with the means 
of always obtaining ready money upon loan. It was as 
bankers and capitalists that the wanderers were encouraged 
to settle. The government, however, kept a strict watch 
over their proceedings, and made various regulations to pre¬ 
vent their taking undue advantage of the protection afforded 
them. In 1385, they were obliged to confine themselves to 
a certain part of the city, which has ever since continued to 
be inhabited by them ; and they were forbidden to oppress 
the poor, as they had previously done, by refusing to lend 
except upon the most valuable pledges, or by exacting a very 
exorbitant interest. Venice showed the same favor towards 
the Israelites, in the various districts which from time to 
time became subject to her sway. Accordingly, in the be¬ 
ginning of the thirteenth century, when the Latins made 
themselves masters of Constantinople, the podesta appointed 
by the Venetians had under his jurisdiction the Jews and 
Armenians. At the return of the Greek emperors, this 
functionary lost a considerable portion of his power ; but 
the Israelites, as they found their advantage in being still 
considered subjects of the republic, paid an annual sum for 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


261 


that privilege. The podesta received from them presents at 
his entrance in office, and at stated periods of the year. 

The inhabitants of Ravenna, in 1484, were stirred up by 
the harangues of Bernardino of Feltre, to drive the Hebrew 
usurers out of their city ; and sent deputies to Venice, re¬ 
questing the senate to pronounce an edict of banishment 
against the hated race. The magistracy, after having calmly 
heard both parties, enjoined the Jews to practise usury no 
more, as a monte di pieta had been established at Ravenna ; 
and shut up their synagogue, which, occupying an eminent 
position, had thereby attracted too much the attention of the 
fanatical multitude. At Verona, and other places, the au¬ 
thorities protected the Jews from the danger to which they 
were exposed by the discourses of Bernardino. 

At Genoa it would appear that the Israelites had been long 
established. The inhabitants of that city, previously to the 
subjugation of the Greek empire by the Turks, possessed 
the port of Caffa; which became the emporium of their com¬ 
merce in the Black Sea. Here the Jews settled, and em¬ 
ployed themselves in the slave trade. Purchasing boys and 
girls from the Russians, Tartars and Circassians, they sold 
them to the Saracens and Turks; sometimes making such 
profitable bargains as to clear a thousand per cent. Intelli¬ 
gence of this traffic was conveyed to the court of Rome, 
probably by the Dominicans resident in the place ; when 
Martin V., who at that time occupied the papal throne, im¬ 
mediately took steps to put an end to it. He first ordered 
that all the Jews of Caffa should wear a distinctive mark 
upon their dress. Having thus ensured their detection, he 
next enjoined the bishop of the city and the Genoese au¬ 
thorities to seize the goods of such as had been engaged in 
the sale of slaves, and employ the price in the redemption 
of those unhappy victims of their avarice. If any of them 
refused to surrender their ill-gotten gains, instructions were 
given that they should be expelled from the colony.* 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. xxix. p. 722. Depping, pp. 490—492, 514— 
520, 523—525. Beugnot, prem. part, p. 176—179. 





262 


CHAPTER XVI. 

Italian Rabbis—Leo the Hebrew—His H Dialogues of Love ”—Jewish 
Printing-presses in Italy—The Soncinati—Gerson de Soncino, a re¬ 
nowned Printer—Learned Men—Gedaliah ben Joseph Jachia—Solomon 
Usque—His “ Consolation of Israel ”—Leo of Modena—Tremelius 
The Jews persecuted by various Popes—Wise Policy of Sixtus V*.— 
German Jews—Jews in Russia—Influence of the Reformation on the 
State of the Jews—They enjoy great Prosperity in Poland—They are 
protected by the United Provinces—Jews at Constantinople.—F rom A. 
D. 1580 to A. D. 1647. 


We have seen that the exiles from Spain and Portugal 
were kindly received in various Italian states. Among those 
refugees there were several distinguished rabbis, such as 
David ben Joseph ben Jachia, who was chosen governor oi 
the Jews at Naples ; and Joseph ben Don-David, who, for 
twenty-two years, was the head of the synagogue at Imola. 
The former was celebrated as a grammarian, poet and phi¬ 
losopher ; the latter, besides being a commentator on some 
books of the Bible, was the author of several works on the 
Talmud. But the most famous of the exiles was the oldest 
son of Abarbanel, named Judah, but better known by the 
appellation of Leo the Hebrew. On his expulsion from 
Spain, he retired to Genoa, where he practised medicine, 
and taught such philosophy as was received among his peo¬ 
ple in those days ; namely, a species of eclecticism, combin¬ 
ing the opinions of Plato and Aristotle with the dogmas of 
Averroes, Avicenna, and other Arabian sages, as also the 
doctrines of the various rabbinical schools. Leo has left us 
a curious specimen of his sentiments in his u Dialogues of 
Love ; ” a work in which there are two interlocutors intro¬ 
duced, by name Philo and Sophia, the former of whom 
instructs the latter in the loves of the angels, planets, 
elements, and other beings generally supposed to be beyond 
the reach of human affection. It has been remarked of this 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


263 


book, that the author seems to have accurately described the 
verdict of posterity on himself in the words which Philo 
addresses to his fair auditor : “ Your reasonings demonstrate 
the ingenuity of your fancy, rather than the solidity of your 
understanding.” Yet the “ Dialogues of Love” were pop¬ 
ular in their day. Originally written in Italian, they were 
several times printed at Rome ; and being soon afterwards 
translated into French by the Sieur de Parc, were published 
at Lyons, with a dedication to Catherine de Medicis. 

The Jewish inhabitants of Italy, who cultivated literature, 
as well as the exiles from Spain and Portugal, gave sufficient 
evidence of their fondness for it, by the number of printing 
presses which they established .about the end of the fifteenth 
century. They published books, not merely on religious 
subjects, but also such as were connected with history, juris¬ 
prudence, and medicine ; and, as they were printed with the 
greatest care from the best manuscripts, are highly valued 
by collectors. Tbe impressions, however, appear to have 
been generally small, so that copies of most of them have 
become exceedingly rare. It was in 1475 that their press in 
Italy sent forth its first work. This was the commentary of 
Solomon Jarchi on the Pentateuch, a small folio, printed by 
Abraham Garton, at Reggio in Calabria ; and the only copy 
of it known to exist was in the possession of J. B. de Rossi, 
the author of a learned treatise on Hebrew typography. 
The next work printed was the Arba-Turim, or “Four 
Orders” of Jacob ben Ascer, which is a system of Hebrew 
law, and consists of four volumes in the first edition. Some 
verses at the end, according to the fashion of the times, 
announce the name of the printer to have been the rabbi 
Mesculam, surnamed Kosi ; and his establishment was at 
Plebisacio, or Pieve-di-Sacco, a town of the Paduan territo¬ 
ry. Printing presses being speedily established at Bologna, 
Mantua, Ferrara, and various other cities, were kept in 
active employment. The most celebrated of them was that 
under the direction of the Soncinati family, who, originally 
from Germany, came to reside in Soncino, a little town of 
the Milanese, at present in a state of obscurity. The mem- 


264 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


ber of this family who obtained the greatest celebrity was 
Gerson, whose press was stationed at the above-mentioned 
place in 1484, and continued during six years to send forth a 
number of works, principally on theological subjects. The 
first book which issued from it was a portion of the Talmud, 
namely, that which relates to benedictions, with the com¬ 
mentaries of Jarchi, Maimonides, and other rabbis. The 
most important was a complete copy of the Old Testament, 
with points and accents, remarkable for the number of vari¬ 
ous readings it contains, which are stated by Kennicott to 
amount to several thousands. 

While the press of Soncino was thus active, that of Naples 
likewise began to distinguish, itself. Its first work was a 
Psalter, with the commentary of David Kimchi ; which was 
so far from rivalling the correctness of the other Hebrew 
books, that the printer was obliged to excuse himself, by 
pleading that he had not been able to perfect his typograph¬ 
ical arrangements. Various other portions of the Bible 
followed, with the expositions of the most celebrated doc¬ 
tors. Among these there appeared the first complete edition 
of Aben Ezra’s Commentary on the Pentateuch ; a book 
which has now become exceedingly rare, as De Rossi, after 
all his investigations, was only able to ascertain the exist¬ 
ence of one copy in Italy, besides that which he himself 
possessed. In addition to the theological works of the great 
rabbis, the Neapolitan press supplied treatises on subjects of 
secular interest ; as, for example, the Makre Dardeke, or 
Teacher, a rabbinical dictionary, in Hebrew, Arabic, and 
Italian, a compilation of which the author is unknown ; and 
also a translation of a medical work by Avicenna, which 
proves that the Israelites in the south of Italy did not neglect 
the study of the healing art, in which their ancestors had 
been so famous. One of the latest issues of the press at 
Naples, was an edition of the Mishna, which made its ap¬ 
pearance in 1492 : the expulsion of the Jews from the Two 
Sicilies, of course, putting an end to their typographical 
operations in that part of Europe. 

Meanwhile, Soncino having left the town from which he 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


265 


derived his surname, had transferred his establishment to 
Brescia ; where he remained some years, and among other 
works, published the Old Testament, with points and accents. 
T. he readings of this edition differ remarkably from those of 
the other Hebrew Bibles printed in Italy. He afterwards 
travelled from place to place, carrying his press along with 
him ; and became so remarkable for the number of his re¬ 
movals, that in one of his books he styled himself Gerson 
the Wanderer. He planted himself successively at Fano, 
Pesaro, Rimini, Thessalonica, and Constantinople, where he 
still continued to print in 1533 ; but it appears that he died 
shortly afterwards, having achieved a successful career 
during half a century. The most celebrated of his later 
works was a Bible, in two folio volumes, printed at Pesaro 
in 1517, and so much esteemed, that a second edition was 
called for within a short time. Both impressions, however, 
have now become exceedingly rare.* 

Although them were various towns in Italy which pos¬ 
sessed Jewish printing presses, the only one which was re¬ 
garded as worthy of being the rival of that of Gerson de 
Soncino was the Venetian, under the superintendence of 
Daniel Bomberg. It gave birth to a great number of works, 
and, among others, a Bible, with the Targum and various 
commentaries of the rabbis, forming four volumes in folio. 
This edition, which was executed in 1524-5, is very rare 
and much esteemed, and is regarded as the source of all the 
Masoretic copies of the Scriptures. After the departure of 
Gerson into Turkey, Venice was, with the exception of 
Bologna, the only city in Italy which continued to print 
books for the use of the Israelites ; but various presses had 
been established in Germany and Poland, which supplied 
them with copies of their most esteemed works. Nor was 
this benefit confined to those for whom it was originally in¬ 
tended. Several distinguished Christians applied them¬ 
selves to the study of Hebrew, and explored the obscure 
writings of the rabbis; content to wade through much 


* 


Basnage, book vii. chap. xxix. p. 725. Depping, p. 493—504. 
23 




266 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


trifling matter, if they could thereby obtain some useful 
helps to the right understanding of the Old Testament. 
One of the most remarkable of the students was John Picus, 
count of Mirandola, whose writings prove his proficiency 
in rabbinical lore. He was, however, deceived by some ot 
the Jews who frequented his house, and had certain manu¬ 
scripts of a modern date palmed upon him as the genuine 
writings of Zoroaster and other oriental philosophers.* The 
bigoted Catholics condemned this study altogether; and 
alleged, that the only effect which it could have on those 
who devoted themselves to it, would be to incline them to 
Judaism. A converted Hebrew, named Pleffercorn even 
requested the Emperor Maximilian to order all the works 
which issued from the Jewish press to be committed to the 
flames. But the celebrated Capnio, or Reuchlin, one of the 
best oriental scholars that Germany has ever produced, in¬ 
terfered to prevent the execution of this barbarous design, 
and was fortunately successful in rescuing those works from 
the fate which awaited them. 

Besides the distinguished printers whom we have men¬ 
tioned, Italy produced various rabbis, who acquired reputa¬ 
tion by their talents and learning. Among these was 
Gedaliah ben Joseph Jachia, born at Imola in 1500, who 
was at once a historian, a preacher, a lawyer, and a philoso¬ 
pher. He has left a number of volumes, some of which 
are valuable for the information they contain respecting the 
history of the Jews. The most remarkable of these is the 
Salseleth ha Khabalah, or chain of Tradition, upon which 
he spent upwards of thirty years. It is divided into three 
parts. The first treats of the history of the Israelites till 
the fifteenth century ; the second discusses the subjects of 
astronomy and the natural history of man ; while the third 
embraces the annals of the Jews a hundred years later, 
dwelling particularly upon the events which befel them 
before their expulsion from Spain. This work has proved a 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. xxix. sect. 4. M'Crie’s Reformation in Italy 
p. 41. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


267 


mine of information to modern authors who have written 
respecting this singular people. 

Abraham Usque, who was born at Lisbon, printed at 
Ferrara, in 1553, a Spanish translation of the Bible, made 
with much care from the Hebrew text, and intended for the 
use of the banished Jews. A much more celebrated person 
was Solomon Usque, probably a near relation of the other, 
who printed his most remarkable work, the “ Consolation 
of Israel.” This book is written in Portuguese, or rather 
in the corrupt dialect spoken by the Jews of Portugal, in 
which words of Asiatic origin abound. It was intended to 
console his countrymen for the afflictions and persecutions 
which they had undergone, by representing them as origi¬ 
nating in the express appointment of Divine Providence. 
This work is in the form of a dialogue, and one of the 
speakers is the patriarch Jacob, who recounts the various 
calamities that ,had befallen his unhappy race in different 
ages and countries. The melancholy reflections, which 
could not but be occasioned by the consideration of such a 
series of disasters, are in some measure relieved by the dis¬ 
courses of the other two interlocutors, the prophets Nahum 
and Zechariah, who inform him that the Almighty has, for 
wise and holy purposes, seen proper to afflict his chosen 
people, and with this view, repeat those predictions in the 
Old Testament which announce the future calamities of the 
Jews. The “Consolation of Israel” is written in a much 
plainer and simpler style than that which usually distin¬ 
guishes their writings, and is, for the most part, character¬ 
ized by a spirit of moderation towards Christianity. Yet, 
occasionally, the patriarch is introduced as rejoicing over the 
misfortunes which have overtaken the persecutors of the 
Israelites ; and he ascribes the deaths of various princes, 
such as Sisebut, king of the Goths, Philip of France, and 
John II. of Portugal, to the vensreance of God, directed 
against them for banishing his ancient people. He sees the 
same Divine displeasure manifested against whole nations 
w ho had ill treated the Jews ; the Spaniards were punished 
by their unfortunate wars in Italy ; the French by their un- 


263 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


successful contests with the Spaniards; the English by the 
invasions of the Scots ; and the Germans by those of the 
Turks. The “ Consolation of Israel” is now an exceedingly 
rare volume, never having been reprinted. 

Another historical work was produced by the rabbi Joseph 
ben Joshua, who was born at Avignon in 1497. It is en¬ 
titled Dibra haiiamim le malce Zarphath, or the Words of 
the days of the kings of France. It contains an account of 
the wars between that country and the Turks, as well as 
of the expeditions to the Holy Land ; and likewise treats of 
the persecutions to which his people had been subjected 
from the seventh to the middle of the sixteenth century. 
Bartolocci regards it as the most faithful history which the 
Jews have given to the public ; and Basnage has charac¬ 
terized its author as not much inferior to Josephus. It was 
first printed at Venice in 1554. 

One of the most famous of the Italian rabbis was Jehadah 
Arie, better known by the name of Leo of Modena, in 
which city he was born. He published a Bible, with rab¬ 
binical commentaries, in four folio volumes ; and also a 
work, called “ The Mouth of the Lion,” a dictionary of 
those words used by the rabbis which are neither pure He¬ 
brew nor pure Chaldee, and is very useful to such scholars 
as study the writings of the rabbis. The best known of his 
works is his treatise on the manners and customs of the 
modern Jews, in which is to be found a great variety of 
curious and interesting information respecting the mode of 
living which then characterized that people. Leo was a 
bitter enemy to Christianity, and endeavored, by the most 
absurd means, to prove our Savior an imposter ; alleging 
that the letters of the word Jesus, if reckoned according to 
their numerical power, amounted to 616, which was likewise 
the number formed by the letters of the words Elohe 
Nechar, “ the strange gods.” Hence he concluded that it 
was impious to worship Him as the true God ; but such 
trifling arguments could effect little against the evidences of 
the evangelical religion. Leo, though born at Modena, was 
resident the greater part of his life at Venice, where, having 

7 ' O 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


269 


filled the honorable office of head of the synagogue, he died 
at a very advanced age. 

Immanuel Tremellius was born at Ferrara in 1510. 
Originally a Jew, he was converted to the Christian faith 
by Cardinal Pole, but not long after, being convinced of the 
errors of Romanism, he joined the small band of Italian 
reformers. Constrained to leave his native land, he fixed 
his residence in England, and became professor of Hebrew 
at Cambridge. When the death of Edward VI. drove him 
to the continent, he obtained a similar situation, first at 
Heidelberg, and then at Sedan, where he died in 1580. He 
made a Latin version of the Bible, and, as we are told by 
Beza in his life of Calvin, translated into Hebrew the ad¬ 
mired catechism of that great reformer. 

We have previously mentioned, that the condition of the 
Jews at Rome depended upon the mere will of the pope, 
and hence was prosperous or miserable, according as he 
happened to be of a tolerant temper or the reverse. It was 
* in the pontificate of Alexander VI. that the Israelites were 
expelled from Spain and Portugal : many of them fled to 
Rome, where they were but coldly received by their brethren, 
who were perhaps afraid that the strangers would be looked 
upon with jealousy by the papal power. But they were 
mistaken. Alexander enjoined them to treat the exiles with 
all kindness, and encouraged their settling in his dominions. 
It is probable, that a pope who hesitated at no crime, and 
seldom showed himself influenced in the slightest degree 
bv humanity, extended his protection to the Jews solely 
from motives of policy, knowing them to be peaceful and 
industrious subjects ; but whatever were his reasons for 
favoring them, his conduct, in this respect, must ever stand 
in favorable contrast to the short-sighted bigotry which char¬ 
acterized the proceedings of so many sovereigns contempo¬ 
rary with him. 

In 1539, during the pontificate of Paul III., grievous 
complaints were made by Cardinal Sadolet, bishop of Car- 
pentras, in the petty state of Avignon, of the indulgence 
which the Jews there enjoyed under the protection of his 
23* 


270 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


holiness. He affirmed that it was exceedingly inconsistent 
in him to persecute the Lutherans, as enemies of the church, 
while he favored the Israelites, who, as unbelievers, were 
unquestionably worse than any heretics. He added, that 
the pope had never shown such kindness to Christians as he 
had manifested to the adversaries of the Gospel; who were 
emboldened by his indulgence to conduct themselves in the 
most haughty manner towards the faithful, whom they 
seized every opportunity to oppress or defraud. Perhaps it 
was in some measure in consequence of this remonstrance 
of Sadolet, that Paul, a few years afterwards, issued a bull 
hostile to the Jews. In it he annuls all decrees of kings 
or emperors conferring privileges on them contrary to the 
papal edicts ; and requires the strictest care to be taken of 
converts from that creed, separating them entirely from 
their relations, and subjecting them to the vengeance of the 
Inquisition, if they should be found guilty of practising any 
Hebrew rites. 

Some years later, Julius III., conceiving that the Talmud ' 
was full of impious fables, ordered all the copies of it which 
could be found to be burnt. In his reign Joseph Tzarphati, 
a famous rabbi, who had long taught at Rome, was con¬ 
verted to Christianity ; and to flatter him he took the sur¬ 
name of Monte, which was the family name of the pope. 
He both preached and wrote against Judaism, but we know 
not with what effect. 

Paul IV., an ecclesiastic whose stern and haughty tem¬ 
per was not softened by his very advanced years, had 
scarcely assumed the tiara, when he fulminated a severe 
edict against the Jews. He ordered every synagogue in his 
dominions to contribute ten ducats annually, for the instruc¬ 
tion of the converts to the evangelical faith, thus inflicting 
the most cruel injury on their conscientious convictions. 
He forbade them to associate with Christians, or to possess 
more than one synagogue in any town ; he further deprived 
them of all liberty to pursue any branch of commerce, re¬ 
stricting them to money-lending; and required that they 
should abstain from selling the pledges for eighteen months, 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


271 


and even then restore the surplus to the borrower. They 
were to dispose of all their immovable property in six 
months, and were prohibited from acquiring any in future 
This provision was most oppressive ; for the houses and 
lands included in the bull were valued at five hundred thou¬ 
sand crowns, and they sold them at such a disadvantage, 
that they scarcely received a tenth part of their worth. So 
arbitrary was the pontiff, that he would not allow Jewish 
physicians to attend Christian patients. The only enact¬ 
ment in which we can trace any vestige of reason or justice, 
is that in which he condemns to the flames those rabbinical 
writings only which contain any thing blasphemous against 
our Lord. Although this provision is not consistent with 
the more enlarged views of modern toleration, it indicates a 
wiser spirit than that which frequently instigated princes 
and pontiffs to destroy all Jewish volumes without excep¬ 
tion. It was in the days of this pope that a zealous Domin¬ 
ican, Sixtus of Sienna, was sent from Rome to Cremona, 
to burn a splendid library which they had collected there. 
This monk relates that he committed to the flames twelve 
thousand volumes, and regrets that the weakness or avarice 
of the princes of Christendom permitted the Israelites any 
where to possess religious books. 

Pius IV., the next pope, annulled the persecuting edict.of 
his predecessor, and restored the Jews to nearly all the priv¬ 
ileges which they had previously enjoyed, though they did 
not obtain his countenance without the payment of a consid¬ 
erable sum. His successor, Pius V., who accused them of 
magic, extortion, fraud, robbery, profligacy, and various 
other crimes, banished them from every part of his domin¬ 
ions except Rome and Ancona. His reason for retaining in 
his capital persons whom he charged with such detestable 
deeds, was his desire to keep the Christians in mind of the 
sufferings to which the Savior had been subjected by their 
ancestors, and to afford to the Jews themselves an opportu¬ 
nity of becoming acquainted with the Gospel, and being 
converted. Such, at least, were the motives which he as¬ 
signed ; but it has been surmised that, with all his professed 


272 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


abhorrence of them, he found them too useful, seriously to 
wish their banishment from his territories. 

Although Gregory XIII. allowed them to return to some 
cities in the States of the Church, such as Ravenna, he sub¬ 
jected them to the control of the Inquisition ; prohibited 
them from reading the Talmud, or other books hostile to 
Christianity ; and obliged them to appear at the sermons, 
which were statedly delivered for their conversion. Their 
behavior, while hearing these discourses, is said to have 
been far from decorous ; and the efforts of the preachers 
were probably attended with little success. Sixtus V., the 
next pope, seeing the impolicy of the restrictions imposed by 
his predecessors, annulled all the severe laws ; granting to 
the Hebrew nation perfect liberty of trade, restoring to 
them the privilege of appealing to the civil tribunals, and 
subjecting them only to the ordinary rate of taxation.* 

In the northern parts of Europe, they were exposed to 
persecutions, similar to those which had oppressed them in 
the south. Ladislas, the king of Hungary and Bohemia, 
in 1454, permitted the inhabitants of various cities in his 
dominions to expel those who resided there, to seize upon 
their houses and lands, and to extinguish all debts due to 
them, upon condition of their continuing to pay the amount 
of tribute which had been formerly levied from the unhappy 
Israelites. During the reign of Maximilian 1., various com¬ 
plaints were preferred against them. They were accussd 
of murdering Christian children, counterfeiting the coin of 
the realm, and practising usury to an enormous extent. The 
emperor, yielding to this clamor, ordered them to leave his 
dominions. So eager were the estates of Stiria to procure 
their expulsion, that they offered to him the sum of thirty- 
eight thousand florins, as an indemnification for the loss 
which he would sustain by the cessation of the tribute for¬ 
merly exacted from the unfortunate race, who had incurred 
their deadly hatred. They even enumerated the perpetual 


* Basnage, book vii. chap. xxix. p. 721—728. Depping, p. 504 —530. 
Beugnot, p. 255—260. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


273 


exile of the Israelites among the articles of their constitu¬ 
tion, to which each successive monarch was obliged to swear 
at his accession ; and, at the present time, it is only with 
great difficulty, and as a special indulgence, that any Jew is 
permitted to reside, for even a short period, within the limits 
of that duchy. From the state of Bradenburgh they were 
likewise expelled about the beginning of the sixteenth cen¬ 
tury ; and were obliged to take an oath, that they would 
neither themselves return, nor be in any way instrumental in 
inducing their brethren to enter the country. But, though 
thus banished from various parts of Germany, they were 
nowhere exposed to the loss of life, except at Ratisbon ; 
where the populace assaulting them, massacred a number, so 
that the survivors were glad to escape from their hands, even 
at the price of exile and confiscation of property. 

Nearly about the same time, a Jewish physician of 
Venice, named Leo, who had penetrated to the court of 
Russia, undertook to cure the son of the Czar, who was 
dangerously ill. He appears to have miscalculated his own 
skill, for the young prince died, and the autocrat was so 
enraged at the disappointment of his expectations, that he 
ordered him to be put to death. Shortly afterwards, a rabbi 
of the name of Zacharias, greatly addicted to astrology, 
found means to become the head of a sect who devoted 
themselves to the study of cabalistic books, which their 
leader assured them had been transmitted from the times of 
David and Solomon. These sectaries imagined that the 
volumes they regarded with so much reverence contained in 
their mystic phraseology the most important secrets of 
nature, which it was well worth the labor even of a whole 
life to acquire. The Jew won over to his opinions a number 
both of the priests and the laity ; but the superior clergy, 
condemning their conclusions as heretical, anathematized 
them in a council. Not content with ecclesiastical fulmina- 
tions, they applied to the Czar to exert his authority in sup¬ 
pressing these dangerous doctrines. It is uncertain what 
was the result of their request, some accounts stating that 
the prince refused to comply with it ; whole others allege, 


274 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


that he endeavored by persecution to extirpate the followers 
of Zacharias, who, notwithstanding, continued to maintain 
their opinions, which, it is said, are held even to the present 
day. 

We now return to Germany, where the Reformation 
brought out the rabbinical writings from the obscurity to 
which they had long been condemned. Both protestant and 
popish divines began to study them ; convinced of the great 
assistance which, amidst all their errors and absurdities, 
they afford toward the right understanding of the Old Tes¬ 
tament. But the great revolution in religious opinion, which 
was the consequence of the efforts of Luther, does not 
appear to have produced any remarkable change in the con¬ 
dition of the Jews ; although by paving the way for the toler¬ 
ation which, a century afterwards, was generally established 
throughout Europe, it did in the end secure a more ample 
indulgence towards them. The reformer himself disliked 
the Israelites on account of their usurious practices ; and, 
by his influence, prevented some German princes from giving 
them liberty to reside within their dominions. At first, he 
seems to have been inclined to favor violent methods of con¬ 
version ; but, further reflection convincing him of the ineffi- 
cacy of such means of propagating Christianity, he repro¬ 
bated all efforts to win them over to the truth, except by 
argument and persuasion. The Jewish writers tell various 
malicious stories respecting him ; and among others, they 
allege that he sought to obtain a large sum of money from 
their brethren at Frankfort, promising to reimburse them 
amply by the encomiums that he would insert in his books ; 
an attempt, it is added, which was unsuccessful. This tale 
is sufficiently confuted by the well-known disinterestedness 
of Luther. The zeal, which was so extensively revived by 
the Reformation, could not fail to display itself by efforts for 
the conversion of the ancient people. The works which 
various Christian writers published against their tenets, 
were answered by different rabbis of talent and learning, 
who frequently exhibited great acuteness in making the best 
of their cause. Several of their treatises were styled by 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


275 


their authors Nizzachon, or “ The Victory,” being consid¬ 
ered by them as triumphantly refuting the arguments of 
their opponents.* 

It appears that the first arrival of the Jews in Poland was 
in the year 1096. As soon as the year 1112, the soldiers 
ransacked their houses at Knew. In 1264 they were per¬ 
mitted to own real estate, until the death of Kasimir the 
Great, when their persecutions commenced anew. In the 
reign of Ladislas Iagiello, (1407,) were announced the edicts 
of Gnesen, conformably to which they were placed under 
the jurisdiction of the bishop ; forced to wear a mark of 
distinction, and excluded from all intercourse with Chris¬ 
tians. In the year 1464, they suffered much from the Polish 
crusaders. Sigismond I., in 1506, sheltered Jewish fugitives 
from Bohemia, but not until he had extorted large sums of 
money from them, so that the historian Ezaki says, <c money 
began, continued, and closed the persecutions against the 
Jews.” Attempts of the Jews to go to Turkey, were frus¬ 
trated. In the year 1538, they were absurdly accused of 
buying cattle in the Wallachia, and selling them abroad, 
with the intention of impoverishing the country! The 
clergy demanded their banishment. The Jews defended 
themselves in writing, in which they showed that Poland 
was almost destitute of Christian artisans, whilst there were 
ten thousand Jewish operatives ; and for every five hundred 
Christian merchants, there were three thousand two hundred 
Jewish. Their money, however, was still a better defence. 
Sieismond I. decreed that no Jew should hold an office : 
none act as tax-collector, and none carry on trade in the vil¬ 
lages ; but every one should pay a double war-tax. Sigis¬ 
mond August imposed on the Jews a yearly poll-tax, 


* The most celebrated “ Nizzachon ” is, however, of an earlier date. 
It was composed by Lipman, a German Jew, in the latter part of the fif¬ 
teenth century. It contained an attempt to impugn the truth of the 
evangelical narratives of our Savior’s life, and was refuted by Sebastian 
Munster, professor of Hebrew at Basle, in a Hebrew version of St. Mat¬ 
thew's Gospel, published at that city. Buxtorf, Syn. Jud., p. 17. 



276 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


(capitulio,) of one florin, which is now equivalent to one 
and one half Prussian dollars. Stephen dismissed, once for 
all, fifteen hundred seventy-six complaints of the Jews for 
infanticide, although their laws strictly forbid it. During 
the reign of Sigismond III., the Polish writers, Przeclaw 
Mojacki, Mieczyoski, and the physician Szleskowski, being 
jealous of their Jewish colleagues, proceeded against them 
with an unaccountable hatred. The baptized Jews were 
ennobled, but without being benefitted thereby. In the reign 
of Michel, (1672,) the Jews were again pillaged, because 
they were accused, though falsely, of treason to the Turks. 
During the reign of Stanislaus Augustus, the office of chief 
rabbi was suppressed. The Jews were promised exemption 
from poll-tax, on the condition that they would devote them¬ 
selves to agriculture ; and many Jewish families embraced 
this opportunity. 

The principal edict in Poland relating to the Jews, will ever 
be that issued by Boleslas, which was towards the middle 
of the thirteenth century. A charter of his is still extan^ 
which protects them from oppression of every kind, and 
breathes a wise spirit of toleration, standing in most favora¬ 
ble contrast to the harsh and oppressive enactments of con¬ 
temporary sovereigns. This deed was confirmed without 
modification about eighty years afterwards by Casimir, the 
great-grandson of Boleslas. Though Poland at a later 
period became remarkable for its toleration of all religious 
opinions, the Romish clergy, in the first heat of the contro¬ 
versy between Popery and Protestantism, prevailed on the 
government to forbid the exercise of the reformed faith. 
This temporary intolerance, however, did not affect the 
Israelites : unrestricted freedom was continued to them, and 
in consequence they flourished in a remarkable manner. 
Forming the only middle class between the nobles and the 
serfs, they engrossed almost every branch of traffic. In sev¬ 
eral towns and villages, indeed, they constituted nearly the 
whole of the population. Nor were they remarkable only 
for industry, frugality, and wealth ; they had also numerous 
academies, which became the seats of rabbinical erudition, 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


277 


and produced many distinguished men. Nowhere was the 
authority ol tradition more revered ; and nowhere were the 
persons of their doctors, as the depositaries of that tradition, 
held in greater respect. It was customary for Jews, from 
all quarters of Europe, to send their children to be educated 
in the Polish seminaries ; because there they would certainly 
be instructed in all the learning which it was necessary for 
them to acquire. 

As long as the United Provinces continued under the yoke 
of Austria or Spain, the Israelites could have little hope of 
either toleration or favor. It was in the year 1603 that the 
Jews first arrived in Holland who had been banished by 
Philip III. They excited suspicion, because they were sup¬ 
posed to be Catholics in disguise. They were more than 
once taken by surprise in their places of worship ; where, 
however, to the satisfaction of the Government, were found 
nothing more than scrolls of laws and prayer-books. Soon 
after, they were permitted to worship God in their own way ; 
in consequence of which, the number of wealthy citizens, 
and, at the same time, the enemies of Spain, increased. 
They built an elegant synagogue, which was named, (after 
its founder, Jacob Tirado,) Beth Jacob. Soon after this, a 
second one arose, called Newe Schalom, (peace-dwelling,) 
and several years after a third one was erected, and called 
Beth Israel. The societies at Amsterdam disagreed in some 
of their internal affairs, until they were united in the year 
1639 ; when they combined in the erection of a synagogue 
with the addition of a school, under the name of Thalmud 
Thora. 

They also founded printing establishments at Amsterdam, 
from whence issued works, which, in respect to beauty and 
number, were inferior to none in that city. They not only 
printed in the Hebrew, but alse in the Dutch, Spanish, and 
Portuguese languages, and these were composed by Jews. 

During these events, the Jews made an attempt to procure 
new settlements in Brazil. The Dutch had publicly an¬ 
nounced, in the year 1641, after a treaty of peace with the 
Portuguese, that the Jews should be permitted without hin- 
24 


278 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


drance, to establish a settlement in Brazil. The rabbis, 
Moses Raphael de Aquilar and Isaac Aboab, moved thither 
from Amsterdam with six hundred Jews, and founded there, 
soon after, a society which in a few years flourished by its 
commerce. Alas! their fortune was of short duration. As 
soon as the year 1654, the Portuguese gained a decided vic¬ 
tory, and the Jews received orders to depart ; still their lives 
and property were saved, and the Portuguese governor gave 
them adequate time to close their business, and also sixteen 
vessels to conduct them to their home. They arrived safely 
at Amsterdam, without any great misfortune, and without 
having lost a single person ; but one of the ships fell into 
the hands of pirates, was rescued by the French, and brought 
first to New Holland and finally to Amsterdam, where the 
two above-named rabbis enjoyed for a long time a great 
reputation.* 

Nor did they in Holland addict themselves to money¬ 
making merely ; they cultivated learning, and several illus¬ 
trious men adorned their academies. A distinction was now 
maintained between the Jews of the south and those of the 
north ; the former being the descendants of the successive 
refugees from the Peninsula, the latter those whose ancestors 
had been resident in the country. The former, mindful of 
the glory of their forefathers during the middle ages, con¬ 
sidered themselves as the Hebrew nobility, and sometimes 
treated their northern brethren with aristocratic haughtiness. 
But their pretensions were probably ridiculed by their repub¬ 
lican neighbors, who were inclined to pay more respect to 
what they considered the far more honorable distinction, 
which they frequently acquired by commercial speculations. 
The riches thus obtained often enabled them to display in 
their mansions a splendor and luxury, to which the parsimo¬ 
nious habits of even the wealthiest Dutchmen rendered 
them strangers. 

We will now follow our unfortunate Jewish wanderers to 
the Turkish empire. The following sketch of the state of 


* Zeitochrift der Sammler, 1784. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


279 


the Jews at Constantinople, is extracted from Nos. 8, 9, and 
11, of the “ Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums,” for the 
year 1841 : — 

“ It is now about three hundred years since, that a number 
of Spanish Jews having come to Constantinople, applied to 
the Sultan for permission to settle there. They obtained the 
permission they sought, but were subjected to many strange 
restrictions ; they were forbidden to retort an insult received 
from a Turk, or to fling back a dead body thrown at them ; 
but if a live dog should be thrown, the Jew might fling it 
back, being liable, however, to be punished according to 
law. They found on their arrival, one hundred families of 
Greek Jews already there, who were extremely poor ; they 
themselves brought great riches with them. They were al¬ 
lowed to establish a printing press at Constantinople, which 
proved very advantageous to their brethren in the East, as 
it enabled them to multiply copies of the sacred books, 
which had previously become very scarce. 

Politically, the Jews at Constantinople occupy the same 
station as the other Rayahs. Their number is estimated at 
sixty thousand ; there are several thousand families in each 
of the following quarters : Ballat, Chaskoi, Ortakoi, Kusku- 
nick, and Galata ; in other quarters there are some hundreds ; 
but in Pera, Therapia, and Bujukdere, there are no Jews to 
be found. You immediately know a Jewish house by its 
appearance of decay, broken windows, and more especially 
by the linen hanging out of the windows to dry. Even the 
house of the richest Jew forms no exception to this last- 
mentioned custom ; for, on account of the frequent confla¬ 
grations, nobody keeps a large supply of linen, and the great 
heat makes frequent washing necessary ; but while the rest 
of the inhabitants hang their linen up for drying in the hall, 
the Jews hang it out of the window. 

The Jews of Constantinople are partly employed as 
mechanics and tradesmen. They employ exclusively per¬ 
sons of their own nation, as masons, carpenters, smiths, &c. 
Some branches of business are confined entirely to the Jews, 
such as glass-grinding and diamond-cutting. They are also 


280 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


brokers, especially for Christian merchants; and are, in 
fact, the most skilful and active, without whom the Christian 
merchant could not transact business. They are besides, 
victuallers and dealers of every kind. The Jews are com¬ 
pelled to wear dark colored garments and blue shoes, as the 
Greeks wear black shoes, the Armenians red, and the Turks 
only yellow ones. 

All the Jews of Constantinople are placed under the 
authority of a Khakham Pasha, who represents his community 
at the Porte, collects the haradsh, administers justice, and 
has the power of life and death among his own nation. His 
rank is equal to that of the Patriarchs of the other Rayahs ; 
and he takes even precedence of them at court. He is assisted 
in his office by a Synedrium of Khakhams. The chiefs of the 
various congregations elect a person to fill the office, and en¬ 
deavor always to select one whom they think likely to submit 
to their influence, they even exact a promise to this effect ; 
their choice is generally confirmed by the Porte. The salary 
of the Khakham Pasha is very small, about two thousand 
piastres ; but he receives many presents. He issues excom¬ 
munications, and releases again from them. Woe to the 
Jew who neglects any of the religious observances,—he 
may be sure of the bastinado. 

The Jews here cannot be called rich. If a few are rich, 
they are surrounded by an immense number of the middle 
classes, and by those who live in extreme poverty. Yet 
they have no special institutions for the poor. There exists 
a hospital for those attacked by the plague, but it is not in a 
very good condition. They have the reputation of being 
honest ; and they certainly are so, at least if compared with 
the Greeks and Armenians. The Jews are liable to military 
service ; and, if required, the Khakham is bound to furnish 
three thousand soldiers. Although the Jews have always 
been willing to serve, the Greeks and Armenians have 
hitherto prevented it. 

Every quarter, with the exception of the three above- 
mentioned, having a distinct congregation, has also a princi¬ 
pal synagogue, besides a great number of small ones, and 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


281 


the private place of worship which every rich merchant has 
in his own house. A Khakham is appointed to each. Tho 
service is conducted with much greater solemnity, and better 
order, than is usually found in the German synagogues. 

A school is attached to each synagogue ; and a more 
strange appearance than the school-room presents, cannot be 
imagined. The teacher sits on a wool-sack, at the upper 
end of a room destitute of every kind of furniture, with 
crossed legs, and a cane in his hand ; around him are 
perched from fifty to sixty children on the bare earth. All 
they are taught is—to read Hebrew. It must, however, be 
admitted that they are taught this admirably. The children 
attend this school until their eighth year. They are then 
afterwards brought up to some business, or sent to the Beth 
Hamid rash, in order to become Khakhams. 

Their religious observances are very regularly attended 
to. Certainly, nobody will be found publicly transgressing 
against the laws relating to the Sabbath, or forbidden food. 
It must, however, be observed, that all these ceremonial 
laws are not, by far, so severe as those of the German Jews ; 
and that they laugh at many things which are scrupulously 
attended to by their German brethren.” 


24 * 


232 


CHAPTER XVII. 

Flourishing State of the Jews in Holland—Manasseh ben Israel—His un¬ 
successful Attempt to prevail upon the English Government to re-admit 
the Jews—They are re-admitted under Charles II.—Esdras of Hamburgh 
converts many to the Christian Faith—Leopold I. expels the Jews from 
Vienna, but afterwards allows them to return—Adventures of Sabbathai 
Sevi, a false Messiah—Sect of the Sabbathaites—The Zoharites—Mys¬ 
terious Character of Frank, their Founder—Remarkable Sect of the 
Chasidim—Their Opinions and Customs—The Jews oppressed by Fred¬ 
erick the Great of Prussia—Tumults in England on occasion of a Bill 
for their Naturalization—Career of Moses Mendelshon—The “Jerusa¬ 
lem " and the “ Phaedon ”—Wesseley and Friedlander—Privileges 
granted to the Jews by Joseph II.—The Callenberg Institution, the first 
Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews—Its Labors and 
Extinction—Efforts of the Moravians—The Jews re-admitted into 
France by the Revolution—Napoleon assembles the Grand Sanhedrim 
—His unsuccessful Efforts to make Political Tools of the Jews.—From 
A. D. 1560 to A. U. 1806. 

We have thus brought down the history of the Jews to 
the beginning of the seventeenth century, at which time they 
were excluded by law from England, France, Spain, Portu¬ 
gal, Naples, and various parts of Germany. They enjoyed 
toleration in Poland and Turkey, (if toleration it may be 
called) and were beginning to share in the prosperity which 
the United Provinces had been gradually acquiring, since 
they had succeeded in establishing their political inde¬ 
pendence. In these last mentioned countries, if they pos¬ 
sessed not the confidence of kings, or vied in splendor with 
nobles, or produced rabbis whose learning might rival that 
of Aben Ezra or Maimonides—if, in short, they could not 
flatter themselves that they enjoyed, or were likely to enjoy, 
any thing resembling a second “ Golden Age,” they had at 
least reason to be thankful that they were allowed the means 
of acquiring wealth, the just reward of their unwearied 
industry. They were no longer in exclusive possession, 
either of the medical skill or the commercial habits, which 






INTERIOR OF THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE AT AMSTERDAM. 





























































































































































HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


283 


had so greatly distinguished them in the middle ages ; for 
Europe, having awakened from her long repose, the Chris¬ 
tian nations were vying with one another in activity, indus¬ 
try, and science. But if many opportunities were thus 
denied them of growing rich by outstripping their semi- 
barbarous neighbors, they might congratulate themselves 
that, generally speaking, they were exempted from those 
terrible outbursts of priestly and popular fanaticism, under 
which their ancestors had so often groaned. With respect 
to the states from which they were still excluded, they might 
entertain a reasonable hope that the progress of knowledge 
and liberality of sentiment would gradually break down the 
influence of the most deeply rooted prejudices. The rulers 
of those countries would, it was probable, ere long, be 
brought to see that it was their true policy to make no dis¬ 
tinction of religious belief in their dominions, and to encour¬ 
age the peaceful and industrious of every creed. 

In Holland the Jews continued to flourish during the seven¬ 
teenth century ; and their synagogue at Amsterdam pro¬ 
duced several distinguished men. One of the most cele¬ 
brated of these was Manasseh ben Israel, a descendant of 
Abarbanel, and born in Spain about the year 1604. So 
high, indeed, was his reputation, that at the age of eighteen 
he was appointed to succeed his tutor, Isaac Usiel, as ex¬ 
pounder of the Talmud, in the great synagogue. At 
twenty-eight he published the first part of a treatise, written 
in Spanish, and entitled “ Conciliador* nel Pentateucho,” in 


* Extract from R. Menasseh’s Conciliador: R. Menasseh gives the fol¬ 
lowing interesting summary of facts, which form an appropriate illustration 
of the solemn declaration contained in Jer. ii. 3 : “ All that devour him,” 
i. e. Israel, “ will offend : evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord.” 

All the other prophets, and actual esperience, prove the same; for we 
see those cities where the people of Israel are treated kindly, flourish, and 
the nations and states that maltreat them generally suffer. That most 
powerful Babylonion empire, to which all the kings of the earth were 
subservient, and the Lord selected Nebuchadnezzar as the rod of his pun¬ 
ishment, yet how short was its felicty. Look at the miserable termination 
of that monarchy. The Persians were subjugated by the Greeks. Ha- 



284 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


which he labors with great acuteness to explain the difficul¬ 
ties and seeming contradictions of Scripture. This treatise 
was particularly recommended by Grotius to the attention of 
biblical scholars. He likewise wrote a work on the resur- 


man, who, with his friends, conspired against the Jews, how soon their 
glory vanished, and their lives paid the forfeit. Antiochus Epiphanes, 
who tyrannized over them, what a spectacle was his death 3 he not only 
lost his life by being crushed under the wheels of a carriage, but the 
stench that arose from his body compelled those who accompanied him to 
flee, leaving him to perish, and terminate his existence in a foreign land. 
Pompey, who reduced Judea to a province, and rendered her tributary to 
Rome.—let the fields of Pharsalia, where the chief of the Roman youth 
perished, relate his end : he who had so often triumphed perished by the 
hand of an assassin whose favor he sought in his flight. What troubles 
and misfortunes did not Rome experience from that period ? Read the 
Roman history. The civil wars between Pompey and Cssar cost the lives 
of nearly three hundred thousand men; and those of Brutus, Cassius, and 
Sextus Pompey yet more. What can be said of the Triumvirate ? How 
many senators did they incarcerate ? How many nobles did they deprive 
of life ? Cato and Brutus killed themselves. Most of the emperors 
after Augustus Caesar fell victims to treason and treachery. Let Nero, 
Caligula, Galba, Otho, and Vitellus say. Did Titus, who shed such tor¬ 
rents of Jewish blood, enjoy his empire 1 Certainly not: in the flower of 
his age, in the meridian of his glory, he terminated his life, confessing 
himself guilty of only one sin, (probably his conduct towards Judea,) for 
which, in the Roman way of speaking, he said that the gods cut the thread 
of his existence. Adrian, who subsequently made an end of the remains, 
did not go unpunished ; in a protracted illness, to put an end to his exist¬ 
ence, he starved himself to death ; and the major part of the emperors 
that succeeded him were assassinated. All this not being enough, in the 
reign of Aurelius the Lord punished the Roman people with the most 
devastating plague that has ever been known. Turning to Spain, we find 
similar examples. Sizebut, who was the first to destroy the happiness 
they enjoyed, was shortly after poisoned. Ferdinand and Isabella were 
not left; unpunished; she, after suffering a disgraceful and incurable dis¬ 
ease, died without a legitimate successor. John II. of Portugal, who 
deprived them of their children, during the festivities on the occasion of 
the marriage of his only son, Alphonso, with a daughter of Ferdinand of 
Castile, lost him ; for in running a race he was thrown from his horse, and 
expired the following day : the king himself was carried off by poison not 
long after, and the kingdom devolved on his bitterest enemy. Portugal 
paid dearly for Manuel forcing many Jews to be baptized j in the fourth 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


235 


rection, as well as various pieces relating to the rites and 
customs of the Jews. It is said that he intended to com¬ 
pose a history of his brethren, which should embrace the 
whole period between the destruction of Jerusalem and his 
own time ; and it is much to be regretted that death arrested 
this undertaking, after but a slight progress had been made 
in it. Aspiring likewise to poetical fame, he translated 
Phocylides into Spanish verse. Unfortunately, however, 
he aimed at success in too many things ; and not content 
with questions of Judaical theology, he published an unsatis¬ 
factory work on the controversy then raging in Holland 
between the Calvinists and Arminians. 

Towards the close of his life, Manasseh occupied himself 
in endeavoring to procure for his countrymen permission to 
settle in England. The monarchy having been overthrown, 
and the sovereign power vested in the hands of Cromwell, 
he thought that a period in which so much had been swept 
away, was favorable to an attempt to rescind the edict of 
Edward the First, which had banished the Jews. He there¬ 
fore presented a petition to the Protector, in which he 
intimated his belief that the wily soldier had been specially 


generation the king and most of the nobility perished by the hands of the 
barbarous Moors. Philip of France, who first confiscated their property, 
and then banished them, was thrown from his horse in a stag hunt, and 
died from the injury he sustained. Shortly after they were banished from 
England, the Lord visited it with a plague that carried off thousands, so 
that the country was greatly depopulated. These truths are evident 
proofs of the prophecy of Jeremiah being certain : “ Holiness is Israel to 
the Lord, the first fruit of his increase 5 all that devour him will offend ; 
evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord 3 ” and by which is seen the 
incorrectness of other versions ; for the Hebrew text is not in the past, 
holiness was ... all that devoured him evil came to them/’ but in the 
present and future tenses, as translated above. The ancients say the 
prophet F.zekiel compares the children of Israel to sheep; but that it 
might not seem they were exposed to any one leading them to slaughter 
he continues, as sheep of Holiness, “ye are sheep of one flock ; ” because, 
as a person who touches the sacred sheep dedicated to God were condem- 
nable, so are those who molest Israel; for, as the Lord says by the prophet 
Zechariah, “ He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye.” 



286 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


appointed by Divine Providence to the honorable situation 
which he now filled ; and requested him to employ his influ¬ 
ence in promoting the recall of God’s ancient people, whose 
enemies, he alleged, had never prospered in the end. 
Another petition was addressed to the chief men of the 
Commonwealth ; and in it the rabbi mingled much praise on 
the humanity of the English nation, with an exposition of 
the advantages that would result from the admission of his 
brethren into a country from which they had been so long 
excluded. Cromwell summoned a council of two lawyers, 
seven citizens of London, and fourteen ministers ; to debate, 
first, whether it were lawful to admit the Jews, and second¬ 
ly, if it were lawful, on what conditions it would be advis¬ 
able to receive them. The lawyers pronounced at once 
that the proposed measure was legal ; the citizens were 
dvided in opinion ; but the divines discussed the matter so 
long and so inconclusively, that, Oliver’s patience being 
quite exhausted, he adjourned the decision of the question 
to a more favorable occasion. It is a curious fact, that the 
republican writer, Harrington, in his Oceana, gravely pro¬ 
poses to rid England of the burden of Irish affairs, by selling 
the island to the Israelites. But the general sentiment of 
the period was far from being favorable to the re-admission 
of the Jews, owing to the still deep-rooted prejudices 
against them.* Extravagant stories in regard to the con¬ 
ditions which they were supposed to have made with the 
Protector were propagated and believed. For example, it 
was confidently asserted that they had offered him five 
hundred thousand pounds, on condition of obtaining St. 
Paul’ s as their synagogue ; and the notorious Hugh Peters 
was pointed out as one of the promoters of this scandalous 
bargain. Another equally groundless fiction w r as promul- 

* Even truly excellent men in that age evinced, when speaking of the 
Jews, their subjection to the prejudices which prevailed. Thus Bishop 
Hall, while inculcating the obligation to pray for them, calls them “ mis¬ 
creant Jews,” (Christian Moderation, book ii. sect. 14 ;) and Sir Thomas 
Browne gives them the appellation of “ that contemptible and degenerate 
issue of Jacob .”—Religio Medici, edit. 1838, p. 51. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


287 


gated, to the effect that the Asiatic Jews had sent a deputa¬ 
tion to his Highness, to inquire if he were not the Messiah ; 
and that they actually went to Huntingdon to search his 
pedigree, and discover if he could not claim Hebrew 
descent. It is probable that the aversion of the people to 
the re-admission of the Jews made Cromwell avail himself of 
the discordant judgment of the citizens and divines men¬ 
tioned above, as a fair pretext for declining to give any 
effect to the application of Manasseh ben Israel. He felt 
that his position was too insecure to admit of his setting at 
defiance the well known opinions of a very large portion 
of the inhabitants of Great Britain. But although the peti¬ 
tioners failed in this application, they were more fortunate 
in the reign of Charles II. Probably owing to the con¬ 
venience arising from their constant supply of ready money 
to that needy monarch, they were quietly allowed to settle 
in the kingdom, where they have ever since maintained their 
ground.* 

We return to the Jews of Holland. Although many 
learned men, who rivalled the fame of Ben Israel, issued 
from the school of Amsterdam, yet the most remarkable 
person whom it produced was Benedict Spinosa,the founder 
of modern atheism, who was born in 1632. He followed 
the occupation of grinding optical glasses, and thereby pro¬ 
cured the means of living in a frugal manner which was 
agreeable to his simple habits. When, in consequence of 
his atheistical opinions, he forsook the synagogue, the 
rabbis fulminated against him the Schammath or greater 
excommunication ; and it is said that they even attempted 
his life. Not thinking himself safe in his native city, he 
retired, first to Leyden, and afterwards to the Hague, 
where he appears to have died in 16/7, at the age of foity- 
five. Detestable as his irreligious principles were, his con¬ 
duct was always decent and moral ; and hence he was re¬ 
garded with affection and respect by his intimate friends. 
Some eccentric habits, in which he indulged, had in- 


* Basnage, book vii. chap, xxxii. p. 740. 




283 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


duced modern writers to suspect that he was partially in¬ 
sane. His ruling passion seems to have been the love of 
fame; and, says Bayle, <c he would have sacrificed his life 
to glory, even if he should have been torn in pieces by the 
mob.” * 

The atheistical tenets of Spinosa, which, though he 
never had the courage openly to avow them, might easih 
he discerned by those who read his works with attention, 
were combatted both by Christian and Jewish authors. The 
most distinguished of the latter class of antagonists was a 
Spaniard, called Don Balthasar Orobio, who, after his cir¬ 
cumcision, changed his name to Ishak. This man, who 
had originally, like his ancestors, professed the Romish 
faith, for the advancement of his secular interest, studied 
philosophy, and became professor of metaphysics in the 
University of Salamanca. He next practised medicine at 
Seville, but was there seized by the Inquisition, upon sus¬ 
picion that he secretly adhered to Judaism. He was kept 
in confinement three whole years, during which he was 
almost driven to madness by the ill usage to which he was 
subjected. He still continue:!, however, to profess himself 
a Christian. After his release, he left Spain, and travelled 
into France, where he obtained the professorship of physic 
at Toulouse. But he grew weary or ashamed of concealing 
his real opinions and retired to Holland, where he could 
profess them without danger to life, liberty, or property. 
He fixed his residence at Amsterdam, where he submitted to 
circumcision, and practised as a physician with great skill 
and success. He endeavored, by answering Spinosa’s argu¬ 
ments, to arrest their progress in that country. 

But Orobio did not content himself with combating athe¬ 
istical doctrines only ; he had a conference with Limborch, 
the learned professor of theology among the Arminians or 
Remonstrants. In this debate it is acknowledged that the 


* Basnage, book vii. chap, xxxii. pp. 741, 742 Mosheim, cent. xvii. 
Beet. 1. Stewart’s Preliminary Dissertation to the Encyclopedia Brittani- 
ca, pp. 144, 145, 264, 265. 



HISTORY OP THE JEWS. 


289 


disputants acquitted themselves with talent; and the pub¬ 
lished report ot it is regarded as a standard work upon the 
Jewish controversy. Both parties retained their previous 
convictions ; and it does not appear that any great effect was 
produced by Lirnborch’s arguments. The exertions of a 
converted rabbi, named Esdras, at Hamburgh, (called, from 
the number of Jews resident there, “ the Little Jerusalem,”) 
were more successful. His labors, which were carried on 
about the year 1690, were attended by such happy results, 
that bishop Kidder, a contemporary, states, in his Demon¬ 
stration of the Messias, “ there have not been so many con¬ 
versions of the Jew r s, since the time of miracles, as Esdras 
made at Hamburg.” A divine of that city, whose zeal 
exceeded his judgment, imagined that more of these changes 
would take place if violence were attempted against the re¬ 
fractory ; but the magistrates wisely paid no attention to 
his earnest efforts to induce them to commence a persecu¬ 
tion. 

During the thirty years’ war, the Bohemian Jew T s behaved 
with great bravery in the defence of Prague against the 
combined forces of the Swedes and German Protestants ; 
but, like the Egyptians of old, they have forgotten their 
benefactors.* In return for this demonstration of loyalty, the 


* The “ Augsburger Zeitung ” reports, that on the 8th July a riot was 
caused by the railway laborers at Prague, the object of which was to 
obtain higher wages. On the rioters being dispersed by the military , 11 the 
populace,” says the above (Christian) paper, “ as customary, turned its 
fury against the Jews ; many individuals were ill used in the streets, and 
considerable devastation of property committed, under the eyes of the 
police, w r ho were unable to prevent the outrage. Not until the evening 
was far advanced were energetic measures adopted for the restoration of 
order and tranquillity.” A letter from Prague, dated July 10th, in the 
“ Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung,” states that the exasperation of the people 
against the Jews was then at its height, and that several companies of 
soldiers had been stationed in their quarters. 

The a Archives Israelites.” for August, after quoting the above, has the 
following: 

u Some days ago, the public papers announced that two thousand Israel¬ 
ites had left Prague, in consequence of the aggressions of the populace, 

25 



290 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Emperor Ferdinand III. granted them various privileges. 
About the middle of the seventeenth century, a rabbi named 
Zechariah obtained permission from Leopold I. to build a 
synagogue at Vienna, and open a school there. But, a few 
years afterwards, he withdrew his protection, drove them 
from the city, and seized their edifice, in order to convert it 
into a church. The Jewish writers assert that this persecu¬ 
tion was occasioned by the bigotry of the empress, who per¬ 
suaded her husband that her barrenness was a punishment 
inflicted by God for the toleration which he had extended 
to the Israelites. They add, that the Almighty avenged 
his chosen people, by causing her, soon afterwards, to die 
in child-bed. After her death, they were allowed to re¬ 
sume the quarters at Vienna ; but they were still occasion¬ 
ally exposed to injury from outbursts of popular fanaticism. 

By far the most extraordinary circumstance in the his¬ 
tory of the Jews, during the seventeenth century, was the 
appearance of the false Messiah, Sabbathai Sevi. Impostors 
had arisen from time to time among them, in every age from 
the destruction of Jerusalem, and had practised, with more 
or less success, upon the credulity* of their contemporaries. 
The exploits of those who appeared during the middle ages 
have been transmitted to us in so exaggerated a form, that it 
seems unnecessary to dwell upon them. But the extraor¬ 
dinary circumstances which marked the career of Sabbathai, 
and the full information which we possess on the subject, 
induce us to speak of him at greater length. 

This singular man, born in 1625, was the younger son of 
Mordecai Sevi, who was first a poulterer at Smyrna or 
Aleppo (for accounts vary,) and afterwards became broker 


to which they had been subjected 3 that from several other villages in 
Hungary the Israelites have been expelled, and the portrait of M. Roths¬ 
child torn in pieces by these barbarian hordes.” 

The “ Orient,” of July 23d, in referring to these excesses, mentioned in 
particular the destruction of a shop in Prague, belonging to a Jew 5 the 
perpetrators of which, on being seized and brought before the magistrates, 
stated that they had been paid by Christian merchants to direct their fury 
against the Jews. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


291 


to some English merchants. He made such progress in the 
study of the Cabala, that he was appointed a hakim or rabbi 
in his eighteenth year, and soon after began to distin¬ 
guish himself by the frequency of his fasts and the general 
austerity of his life. He married twice, but declined all 
conjugal intercourse with both his wives. This unusual 
conduct was ascribed to different motives, according to the 
favorable or unfavorable opinion which his neighbors had 
formed of him. He now devoted all his thoughts to the 
study of prophecy, and soon proclaimed that he was the 
long-expected Messiah. He applied to himself the words 
of Isaiah, xiv. 14, “ I will ascend above the heights of the 
clouds and actually one day asked his disciples whether 
they had not seen him carried up into the air. He accused 
of unbelief those who refused to acknowledge that they had 
witnessed his miraculous ascent. As a proof of his divine 
mission, he ventured to pronounce the ineffable name, Jeho¬ 
vah. The rabbis, struck with horror at this impious bold¬ 
ness, cited him to appear before them, declared him worthy 
of death, and applied to the Turkish authorities to procure 
the execution of their sentence. The condemned fled to 
Thessalonica ; but the doctors there having obliged him to 
depart, he passed through Greece and Egypt, on his way 
to Jerusalem. As he remained a short time at Gaza, he 
made an important proselyte, in the person of Nathan Ben¬ 
jamin, who declared that he had seen a vision of the Lord, 
similar to that which appeared to the prophet Ezekiel at the 
river of Chebar, and had heard Sabbathai declared by the 
voice of God to be the Messiah. In Jerusalem, Sevi 
preached with great success ; and Nathan acted as his coad¬ 
jutor, proclaiming himself to be Elias the forerunner, and 
boldly predicting, that ere long the crown of empire would 
be snatched from the head of the sultan, and placed upon 
that of the son of David. 

i 

Leaving the holy city, after a residence of several years, 
he returned to Egypt, where he married a woman, repre¬ 
sented by his enemies as of very indifferent character, but 
asserted by his followers to have been marked out by the 


292 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


most astonishing miracles as the destined bride of the 
Anointed. After his marriage, he again repaired to the 
capital of Judea, where, emboldened by his previous suc¬ 
cess, he went into the synagogue, and proclaimed himself to 
be the Deliverer. The rabbis denounced him as a blasphe¬ 
mous imposter, excommunicated him, and constrained him 
to leave the city. He fled to his native place, Smyrna, 
where his pretensions had been formerly scouted by the 
learned; and there he now met with the most determined 
opposition from the same quarter. But the people were 
with him, being gained over by the plausibility of his dis¬ 
courses, and the seeming sanctity of his life. Various at¬ 
tempts were made by the rabbis to destroy his influence, and 
even to put him to death ; but the enthusiasm of the multi¬ 
tude prevailed, aided by the cadi of Smyrna, who had been 
induced, probably by bribes, to lend his countenance to the 
deceiver. A great impression was made in his favor by the 
sudden death of Ainakia, a Jew of rank and consequence, 
who had publicly denounced him as a mere pretender ; an 
event which was regarded as a judgment from Heaven, for 
his rejection of the claims of the true Messiah. 

Sabbathai now assumed the pomp of royalty. He took 
the name of king of the kings of the earth, and conferred on 
his two brothers the title of sovereigns of Israel and Judah. 
A throne was erected for him, and another for his consort ; 
and when he went in procession, a banner was borne before 
him, inscribed with the words, “The right hand of the 
Lord is exalted. 5 ’ A public prayer was offered up in the 
synagogue, in which he was acknowledged to be the ex¬ 
pected messenger from heaven. Men and women, youths 
and maidens, in various parts of the Turkish empire, 
assumed the character of prophets and prophetesses ; and 
were said to have miraculously acquired a knowledge 
of Hebrew, of which the first use they made was to utter 
the words, “ Sabbathai Sevi is the true Messiah, of the 
race of David : to him the crown and the kingdom are 
given.” These frantic ravings, which were accompanied 
with certain uncouth gestures, like those exhibited by the 


HISTORY OP THE JEWS. 


293 


Pythia of old, were looked upon as accomplishments of the 
ever-memorable words of Joel : “ I will pour out my Spirit 
upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall 
prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young 
men shall see visions.” The greatest excitement prevailed 
among the Jews throughout Europe and Asia, from the 
wealthy merchants at Amsterdam down to the poor hus¬ 
bandmen of Persia. The course of business was interrupt¬ 
ed ; the most inveterate usurers, the most plodding traders, 
forgot for a time their engrossing occupations, to discuss the 
pretensions of the self-styled Messiah. Those who were 
able to afford it, eagerly sent valuable presents to his court 
in acknowledgment of the justice of his claims to the do¬ 
minion of the earth, and the possession of its richest pro¬ 
ducts. At Smyrna, it was so dangerous even to hint a 
doubt of the validity of his pretensions, that a distinguished 
rabbi, who refused to re-echo the popular cry, preserved his 
life only by a timely flight. 

Sabbathai was constantly urged by his zealous partisans 
not to rest contented with the homage of the people of 
Smyrna, but boldly to proceed to Constantinople, and de¬ 
prive the grand seignior of the crown, which rightfully be¬ 
longed to the Son of David. Finding it impossible to resist 
any longer the importunity of his friends, he set out for the 
capital in a small vessel ; while a number of Jews proceeded 
thither bv land, to witness the triumph of their leader, 
which they so confidently expected. When the impostor 
arrived, the vizier having received instructions from the sul¬ 
tan, who was absent, sent an aga with a body of Janissaries 
to apprehend him ; but we are told that first this officer, and 
then another who was despatched on the same errand, re¬ 
turned trembling, and declaring that they could not venture 
to lay hands on a personage whose countenance beamed with 
an awful glory, like that of an angel. The Jew, however, 
thought proper to save his highness further trouble by sur¬ 
rendering himself voluntarily ; and he was committed to the 
castle of Sestos, where, being kept without any harshness 
of treatment, he was allowed to have free intercourse with 
25* 


294 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


his partisans, who flocked from all quarters to visit him. He 
issued a manifesto, in which he suspended the fast usually 
kept on the 9th of August, on account of the destruction of 
Jerusalem; and ordered the day to be celebrated with the 
utmost marks of rejoicing, as the birth-day of the Messiah. 
He likewise despatched ambassadors into various countries, 
to proclaim that he was the promised deliverer of Israel, and 
to recount the various miracles which he had wrought and 
still continued to perform. 

The homage which he continued, even in the seclusion of 
his prison, to receive, might have given him unmixed pleas¬ 
ure, if he had not been exposed to the hostility of Nehemiah 
Sosen, a Polish Jew, who, obstinately refusing to acknowl¬ 
edge the justice of his claims, became a Mohammedan in 
order to save his life, which was threatened by the partisans 
of the impostor. He was taken under the protection of the 
Turkish authorities, and sent to Adrianople, where the sul¬ 
tan was then residing. Probably by his representation Sevi 
was sent for, and ushered into the presence of that sovereign 
whose crown he had so often declared that he would place 
on his own brow. The false Messiah was ignorant of 
Turkish, the grand seignior was equally unacquainted with 
Hebrew, and a Jewish renegade was appointed to act as in¬ 
terpreter. Showing no marks of that awful majesty which 
had struck terror into the two agas of the grand vizier, he 
stood in trembling silence before the monarch whose power 
at a distance he had insolently defied. The sultan asked 
him if he were the Messiah ; but the impostor was too 
much paralyzed by terror to make any reply. Nor were 
his fears groundless, for the grand seignior told him that he 
would shoot three poisoned arrows at him to test his preten¬ 
sions, and ascertain whether he were invulnerable, as be¬ 
came the Deliverer ; adding that, if he passed through this 
ordeal in safety, he himself would acknowledge him as the 
Son of David. But if he did not choose to submit to so 
reasonable a requisition, he must either embrace Mohamme¬ 
danism or suffer death. This was a frightful alternative, 
and it must have been indeed a desperate fanaticism which 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


295 


could in such circumstances maintain itself in composure 
The interpreter urged him to save his life by abjuring his 
faith ; and he did not hesitate long, but uttered the irrevo¬ 
cable words, “I am a Mussulman.” It might have been 
expected that his majesty would have dismissed him with 
contempt; but, instead of doing so, he conferred the usual 
distinction of a pelisse of honor, and gave him the title of 
Capidigi Pasha. When the news of Sabbathai’s conversion 
to Islamism spread abroad, his followers were struck with 
consternation; but he alleged that his change had taken 
place by the express command of God, and quoted the tradi¬ 
tion which said, “that the Messiah must remain some time 
among the unbelievers.” He likewise affirmed that the 
words of Isaiah, “ he was numbered with the transgres¬ 
sors,” predicted the temporary acknowledgment of the 
Mohammedan faith which he had recently made. Many of 
the Jews, thinking that they could not err in following their 
Messiah, also embraced the same creed. The rabbis not 
knowing to what extent the defection might spread, con¬ 
ceived that the best course which they could adopt was to 
get rid of Sevi altogether ; and therefore they contrived to 
insinuate suspicions of him into the ear of the sultan, who 
caused him to be confined in the castle of Belgrade, 
where he died in the year 1676, in the fiftieth year of his 
age. 

The extent to which human credulity will go, has seldom 
been so well exemplified as in the case of this individual. 
His partisans were not staggered by his apostacy, but readi¬ 
ly received the explanation which he gave of it. They did 
not even abandon his cause at his death, but obstinately as¬ 
serted that he had been translated to heaven, like Enoch 
and Elijah. The sect of the Sabbathaites spread in every 
direction, although the most vigorous efforts were made by 
the rabbis to counteract its progress. The devoted attach¬ 
ment of Nathan of Gaza had given way, when he heard of 
Sevi’s embracing the Mussulman religion ; and he endeav¬ 
ored to convince his Jewish brethren that his former friend 
was a mere pretender to the title of the Deliverer. But 


296 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


this loss was in some measure counterbalanced by a far 
more extraordinary change. Nehemiah Cosen, the most 
inveterate antagonist of Sabbathai—who had scouted his 
pretensions when he could only do so at the hazard of his 
life ; and had, it is believed in a great measure, contribu 
ted to that stroke of policy on the part of the sultan which 
unmasked the real character of the deceiver—saw it expe 
dient., for some reason or another, to change his opinions , 
and became a warm admirer and partisan of the man whom 
he had once held up to public scorn as an audacious impostor. 
Speculation busied itself with conjecturing the period at 
which the Messiah would re-appear. One prophet affirmed 
with confidence, that Israel would again behold her deliverer 
in the space of one hundred and eleven and one third years. 
A more extravagant prediction was uttered by a Jew named 
Michael Cordoso, and met with great acceptation in Moham¬ 
medan countries, especially in the states of Barbary. He 
alleged that the Son of David would not come asrain until 
all the descendants of Abraham were either righteous or 
wicked; and, as he thought that the latter alternative was 
the more easy to be attained, he exhorted them all to em¬ 
brace Mohammedanism. A number of Israelites, on this 
absurd pretext, renounced the religion of their fathers. The 
Sabbathaites still exist as one of the Jewish sects ; but they 
are supposed to have been kept together rather by a heredi¬ 
tary pride than by any well-defined system of belief.* 

About the middle of the seventeenth century, an adven¬ 
turer of the name of Frank, who possessed considerable 
learning, having organized a sect out of the remains of the 
followers of Sabbathai, gave to it the appellation of Zohar- 
ites, from a rabbinical work of ancient date, called the 
Zohar,t which he taught his followers to regard with great 
reverence. This new body had some leanings towards 
Christianity ; they admitted the doctrines of the Trinity and 


* Basnage, book vii. chap, xxiii. p. 701—703. Milman, vol. iii. Dep 
ping, pp. 538, 539. 

f See Appendix. 





HISTORY OF TilE JEWS. 


297 


the Incarnation, but did not state whether they considered 
Jesus Christ or Sevi as the Son of God. They rejected the 
Talmud, but strenuously maintained that a mystical sense 
pervaded the Scriptures. Frank lived in various parts of 
Germany, in a style of the utmost magnificence ; while the 
manner in which he obtained the riches, undoubtedly pos¬ 
sessed by him, was kept so profound a secret, that no one to 
this day has been able to penetrate it. He afterwards em¬ 
braced the Romish faith, and regularly attended mass with 
much pomp. His partisans, who were numerous, believed 
him to be immortal; but, in 1791, he died, and was buried 
with royal splendor, eight hundred persons following his 
corpse to the grave. The mystery attending his wealth 
seems to have been deposited with him in the tomb ; for his 
family sunk into destitution, and, to keep themselves from 
starving, were obliged to have recourse to the most menial 
labors. The Frankists still exist, but are by no means in a 
flourishing state. 

In the eighteenth century, the head-quarters of the Jews 
might be said to be in Poland, for there they were most nu¬ 
merous. They devoted themselves to nearly every branch 
of trade, but showed a great aversion to agriculture. The 
same country was also the chief seat of rabbinism, which 
possessed less influence over the minds of the Israelites in 
other parts of Europe. The peasantry, too, were in a state 
of the grossest ignorance ; and, imperfect as we may con¬ 
sider the education which the Jews received, it at least suf¬ 
ficed to give them a great advantage over their uninstructed 
neighbors. Poland, in this century, gave birth to a remark¬ 
able body, which continues to the present day, that of the 
Chasidim. The word Chasidim, or the Pious, is evidently 
derived from grace, or favor. It appears, however, accor¬ 
ding to some learned Jews, that originally it was equivalent 
to our word supererogation, and in this sense it was, no 
doubt, adopted by this people, and applied to themselves. 

In the infancy of this sect, they entirely withdrew from 
the pleasure and the bustle of the world, to a life of the 
strictest self-denial and mortification ; assuming upon this 


298 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


ground to commend themselves to the favor of God, and 
eventually to gain heaven. To this end they fasted much, 
often seven or eight successive days without taking any 
nourishment at all ; and even when they did eat, they not 
only abstained from all flesh, but from every thing that 
came from living animals, as eggs, butter, cheese, honey, 
and the like. They wore a rough dress of hair upon the 
naked body, and bathed themselves in the severest winters, 
at midnight, in the rivers, even when the ice was obliged to 
be broken for the purpose ; in winter often rolling themselves 
in snow, in summer in thorns ; wandering about perpetually, 
never remaining more than one night in a place.* By these 
austerities many are said to have lost their senses, and some 
their lives. 

These men applied themselves assiduously to the study of 
the Cabbala, imagining that these austerities were the only 
key to the acquirement of this divine science. The founder 
of this sect is known among the Jews by the name Bescht, in 
which word are the initial letters, by which is understood, a 
man who has great power with God and the angels, and a 
man celebrated for his supernatural gifts ; he was also 
called Israel. 

The year in which Bescht was born does not appear to be 
given in his narrative, but it is said that he lived in Tluzsty 
in Poland, in the year 1740 ; that he was the child of prom¬ 
ise foretold by the prophet Elias, and named by him, Israel, 
long before he was born, because that he should one day 
enlighten the eyes of the people of Israel. 

The father of Bescht appears to have been a man of 
singular fortune : he was plundered of his property in 
Walachia, where he then lived ; was dragged forth to a dis¬ 
tant land and sold as a slave ; became afterwards field mar¬ 
shall, prime minister, and at last a beggar; was more than 
a hundred years old when Bescht was born, and his mother 
nearly as much. 


* This unsettled life was enjoined to atone for sin, because God said tc 
Cain, u A fugitive and a vagabond slialt thou be in the earth.” 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


299 


Bescht, mindful of the saying of the prophet, strove with 
all the energy of mind which he possessed, to accomplish 
the prediction. He applied himself closely to the study of 
the Cabbala, and soon ranked among the saints. He affirmed 
that his soul often left his body, and soared aloft to the 
regions of spirits, and there learned what the heavenly 
senate had determined for the lower world ; that he had 
power to sway their counsels when they were unfavorable. 

The works and wonderful adventures of this man are 
related in a book printed in Berditschef, anno 1814, which 
was so much read by this sect, that in the year 1818 three 
large editions were sold off. Another book written by him, 
and published by his grand-son, is also much read, contain¬ 
ing rules of conduct, faith, &c. In the preface of this book 
it is said by the publisher, “ It is our duty to make known 
to all the members of our communion, the glory of our 
Zaddik, now, alas! extinguished light of Israel. Blessed 
be the memory of this holy man and saint, that he has 
strictly commanded this book to be read unceasingly, and 
never to let the words contained in it depart from our 
mouths, because on this depends our happiness, both in this 
world and the next. He wrote it in his own hand, in pocket 
form, and requested that it might be printed in this form, 
that every one might always have it by him, and be continu¬ 
ally learning wisdom from it.” 

In vain did the most celebrated rabbis of that time oppose 
this sect, and thunder out their anathemas against them ; 
they increased rapidly in the storm of persecution, and be¬ 
came very numerous in Poland, Russia, Walachia, Molda¬ 
via, and soon after in Galatia. The extraordinary influence 
of Bescht with the heavenly bodies, enabled him, as it was 
asserted, to perform wonderful cures ; barren women were 
made fruitful, the dead raised, the condemned in hell deliv¬ 
ered, souls transmigrated into beasts set at liberty, prayers 
which could find no access in heaven were heard and 
accepted, and those that doubted of his supernatural gifts, 
were severely chastised. It cost him only a word, and the 
speaker became dumb, and the lame were healed. He 


soo 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


needed only to move his hand, and immediately the blind 
were restored to sight, and the seeing made blind. In order 
that his people might be held together, he wrote another 
book, entitled the Testament of R. Israel Baalshem. In 
each of his books he makes the doctrines of the Sohar the 
basis ; recommends a contemplative life, an abstractedness 
from all earthly things ; implicit obedience to the will and 
commands of their chief, (Zaddik,) as the representative of 
God. 

After the death of Bescht, in the year 1780, his children 
not inheriting the honors of their father, his disciples scat¬ 
tered themselves in different parts, by which means his doc¬ 
trines became more known : yet his descendants to the 
present day have always been considered as the nobles of 
their people, and an alliance with any branch of the family 
by marriage is an honor which the richest Jew among them 
thinks himself happy beyond measure to accomplish. 

The following are extracts from the dogmas, &c., of the 
Chasidim:— 

“ The foundation of faith is faith in the Zaddik : to him 
the greatest reverence is due. Should it sometimes appear 
that the Zaddik’s conduct is in opposition to the law of 
God, yet the people must believe that he does what is right ; 
for the laws are given to the wise to interpret at all times 
according to their pleasure. The Zaddik is at liberty even 
to abrogate the law, and to institute new ones in its stead. 

“ In judging of the Zaddik, the Chasid is bound to 
renounce his reason and conviction, and implicitly to bow 
to the opinion of the Zaddik : so long as any one thinks that 
he possesses a judgment of his own, and is capable of acting 
for himself, so long is his attachment to the Zaddik not per¬ 
fect. Those only can arrive at this excellent degree of piety, 
who renounce their own reason, feelings and experience, 
and adopt in all things, implicitly, the will of the Zaddik. 

“ The Zaddik must be to the Chasid the first existing 
being. He must not only be to him more than all men, but 
more than God, because God has made over to the Zaddik 
the government of this world. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


SOI 


“ When the prophet Isaiah says, ‘ All thy children shall 
be taught of the Lord,’ he means all the children of the 
Zaddikim, for these teach God what he has to do.” 

1 hat God takes pleasure in being contradicted by the 
Zaddik, the Chasidim prove in the following way : — 

“ When a father orders his son to do any thing, and the 
son sees it would not be well to comply with the request, 
and convinces the father of his error, the father rejoices at 
the wisdom of his son, and willingly subjects his own 
opinion to that of his son. So it often happens with God 
and the Zaddik. Solomon refers to this in the Proverbs, 
xxvii., c My Son, be wise and make my heart glad, that I 
may answer him that reproacheth me.’ 55 

“ The Zaddik is a supernatural being. 55 — K. Shimlab, s. 18. 

“ The Zaddik has power to appoint every one his place in 
heaven or hell, as he may see fit. 55 — Seph. Hamedath. 

“The most effectual means for barren women to become 
fruitful is, to delight in hearing the Zaddik praised. 55 — K. 
Lik. Meliran, 266. 

“ The only way for a sinner to obtain pardon from God 
is, unceasingly to endeavor with all his might to increase 
the income of the Zaddik. 55 — Seph. Hamid., s. 141. 

“ Whoever makes the Zaddik a pleasure, his prayers will 
certainly be heard. 55 — Seph. Hamid., viii. 10. 

“ Let every one take good heed of looking into any book 
upon human science, even should it be written by the most 
learned man in Israel. All profane sciences are dangerous 
to the holy faith. We have often mentioned this circum¬ 
stance, but we cannot sufficiently warn the righteous, lest by 
a peep into such books he should lose his salvation. 55 — Lik. 
Mahran Tengana , s. 39. 

“ All languages except the Hebrew are imperfect; for 
although in each language every thing has a name, yet this 
name is not the right one. That name only which God has 
given to every thing in Hebrew is the name of it. 55 — Lik. 
Amor, s. 31. 

“ Whoever understands to pray to God aright, needs 
neither physician nor medicine ; he is able by the most sim- 
26 


802 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


pie means, even by bread and water, to cure the most 
stubborn disease. 

“ The chief remedy used to cure the sick is the Pidion. 
The law forbids a physician to attempt a cure, before the 
sick person, by means of a Pidion, is cleansed from his sins. 

“ The Zaddik is the crown, ornament, and light of the 
universe : whoever is so happy as to come in contact with 
him, his eyes will be enlightened, will be able to penetrate 
into futurity, and will behold the Godhead face to face.”— 
Lik. Mahran, s. viii. 181. 

"* i As in old time the sinner obtained pardon by sacrifice, 
so can every one that richly contributes to the support of 
the Zaddik look forward with certainty to the pardon of his 
sins. God permits the people to support the Zaddik, in 
order that he may come in contact with them ; and, as God 
looks upon the Zaddik as his beloved son, he remembers, at 
the same time, those who contribute to his benefit.”— Ibid. 
s. liii. 164. 

“ The more conveniences and pleasure the Zaddik enjoys, 
the better he is able to qualify himself for the seat of rest, 
for the Shekinah, and the more grace and abundance w ill be 
imparted to the people, both in this and in the future world ; 
therefore, shall no one pass over the threshold of the Zaddik 
with empty hands.”— Seph. Hamid., s. 50. 

They also distribute tracts, one of which is called “ The 
Path of the Righteous.” It begins thus: — “When you 
arise, you must not speak a word, except you have first 
addressed God, and said, c I confess before thee, thou ever¬ 
lasting and living King, that thou hast returned my soul into 
my body, through thy mercy and truth” ” The Chasidim 
believe that every soul goes to heaven during the time the 
body is at rest, and there it is obliged to write down in the 
book all sins committed ; and when morning comes, God 
commands the soul to return to its body, and, therefore, the 
Chasidim thank God for the restoration of the soul to the 
body. The tract proceeds : “ When you pray, pray with a 
loud voice—as loud as you can, and with all your might.” 
Therefore, you see the Chasidim in their synagogue at 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


303 


prayer time, moving their bodies backward and forward, and 
reciting their prayers at the highest pitch of their voices ; 
and that is what they call praying with all their might. 
“ After prayer,” enjoins the tract, “ sit still an hour, and do 
not speak.” “Take care that you do not steal any thing, 
even were it only a holy penny, even not from a Gentile.” 
“ Do not drink strong drink, for it leads to divers lusts.” 
“ Be not high-minded, and be not passionate.” “ Flee from 
slander, from lies, flattery, and idle conversation.” “ Keep 
yourself very, very humble, and have your sins constantly 
before your eyes.” “ Do not look at a man that is ungodly, 
neither at a Gentile, neither at a convert, much less at an 
idol.” u Flee very much from the congregation of evil 
doers, and from the synagogues of the Amharazim, (the 
illiterate.) Be always joyful, never cast down ; only let 
not your joy degenerate into levity.” 

This sect are great advocates of the doctrine of transmigra¬ 
tion. They tried to prove this doctrine from the following 
passages: — “ Lo, all these things worketh God twice and 
thrice with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be en¬ 
lightened with the light of the living,” (Job xxxiii. 29, 30.) 
That God permitted the soul to enter the bodies of three men 
or animals, and to be purified ; if, however, it is not corrected 
by this, it is destroyed. When they wish to discover any 
secret, they conjure the angels to appear before them in the 
following manner : — Three days before the new moon, they 
abstain from all strong drink, they go before sunrise to the 
baths ; they then take two white turtle-doves and kill them 
with a two-edged knife, made of copper. Each dove is 
killed with one edge, the inside is taken out and washed 
with water ; some old wine, with incense and honey, is then 
laid upon them ; they are then cut in pieces, and before day¬ 
break laid upon burning coals. The conjurer himself is 
dressed in clean white linen clothes ; he stands before the 
burning coals, and whilst the smoke is ascending he men¬ 
tions the names of those angels who minister during that 
month. This he does three times. On the third day he 
gathers the ashes together, places them in the midst of the 


304 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


room, lays himself upon them, and sleeps. He is then cer¬ 
tain that the angels will come and reveal to him what he 
desires. 

The following prayer, written on parchment, and •worn on 
the left side, is the charm for prosperity in business : — 

“ May it please thee, O Lord God of Israel, to give charge 
to the following angels to go into the house of N—, the son 
of N—, to go with him, and to make him prosper in all his 
undertakings, by day or by night, at home or abroad ; in thy 
name, in thy holy zeal, make prosperous N, the son of N—. 
Amen, Selah.” 

By writing such and similar charms, the Chasidim have 
procured a great name for themselves. They pretend to 
know the number of angels, with their names, their various 
occupations and services, and how to make them appear 
before them whenever they please. 

Who does not pity this benighted sect, who put their trust 
in falsehood ? What Christian can hear of their gross 
superstitions, and not exclaim, “ Lord, have mercy upon 
them ! 55 

They have, however, fallen from the prosperity which 
they once enjoyed. Within the last few years they have 
lost several of their greatest rabbis, and no new generation 
of doctors seems rising up to supply the place of the de¬ 
ceased. The power which their teachers exercised over 
them, attracted the attention and excited the displeasure of 
the Russian government, who in some measure repressed it 
by statute.* 

In Prussia the Jews were exposed to persecution by the 
celebrated Frederick II., a prince, who, though he boasted 
of emancipation from all bigotry and intolerance, issued, in 
1750, an edict for the regulation of the Hebrews in his do¬ 
minions. This decree limited the number of Israelites who 
were allowed to reside within the kingdom, and divided 
them into those who possessed an ordinary or an extraordi¬ 
nary protection from the crown. The former privilege de- 


* M’CauPs Sketches, p. 18—42. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


305 


scended to one child ; the latter was confined to the person 
in whose favor it was originally granted. Foreign Jews 
were forbidden to settle ; and exceptions to this rule could 
only be purchased at an exhorbitant rate. If widows mar¬ 
ried strangers of their own faith, they were required to leave 
the kingdom. Those who were allowed to reside in the 
Prussian dominions were subjected to grievous burdens; 
paying, in addition to all the ordinary taxes, a sum for their 
patent of protection, for marriage, and upon the election of 
an elder in their communities. But the meanest part of 
the edict was the following :—Frederick had a manufactory 
of porcelain, on which he set a high value, and wished to 
encourage by every means in his power. He therefore or¬ 
dered that every Jew, on the marriage of a son, should 
purchase goods from it to the amount of three hundred rix 
dollars, for foreign exportation. The Israelites, besides en¬ 
during the heavy burdens thus imposed upon them, were 
excluded from all civil functions, and forbidden to practise 
some of the most lucrative branches of trade. 

In England they were tolerated, but by no means regarded 
with favor. In the reign of Queen Anne an act of Par¬ 
liament w as passed for the purpose of facilitatingconversions 
among them ; and, among other provisions, it empowered 
the Lord Chancellor to enforce, from the father of any one 
w 7 ho embraced the true faith, an adequate maintenance. 
Nearly about the same time Toland, the free-thinker, at¬ 
tempted to induce the nation to regard the Israelites with 
greater kindness, and confer more privileges upon them ; 
but his infidel principles blasted the success of his endeav¬ 
ors. In 1753 a bill was brought forward under the auspices 
of government, which provided for the naturalization of all 
Jews who had been resident three years in the kingdom, 
without being absent more than three months at a time. It 
excluded them from civil offices, but in every other respect 
conferred the privileges of British subjects. The bill passed 
both houses of Parliament, and even received the royal 
assent ; but, although it thus became law, the nation made 
a clamorous outcry against the authors of the obnoxious 
26* 


306 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


measure. Religious intolerance united with mercantile 
jealousy to obstruct the operation of an act which was de¬ 
nounced by one class as hostile to the principles of the Gos¬ 
pel, and execrated by another as prejudical to the interests 
of English traders. Even the pulpit was turned by various 
clergymen into an engine for anathematizing the policy of 
the government; and it was found necessary to repeal the 
obnoxious statute, in order to appease the wide-spread dis¬ 
content. 

In Germany, the most remarkable occurrence which 
marked the history of the Jews, during the eighteenth cen¬ 
tury, was the career of Moses Mendelsohn. This extraor¬ 
dinary man was born at Dessau in Anhalt, in 1729. His 
father, who was a schoolmaster, taught him the Hebrew 
language and the elements of secular learning, but caused 
him to be instructed in the Talmud by others. He studied 
the “ Moreh Nevochim” of Maimonides with such diligence, 
that he distorted his spine and impaired his constitution. 
Going to Berlin at an early age, he was at first employed by 
a rabbi as a transcriber of manuscripts ; and there he ac¬ 
quired a knowledge of mathematics, Latin, and various of 
the modern languages. A rich silk manufacturer, named 
Bernard, pitying his poverty, received him into his house as 
tutor to his children. He afterwards became a superinten¬ 
dent in the factory, and was ultimately taken into partner¬ 
ship. His abilities and activity bringing him into notice, he 
gained the friendship of Lessing and some other men of 
letters. He completely emancipated himself from the un¬ 
social spirit which had so often kept the Jews at a distance 
from their Christian brethren, but still remained outwardly a 
member of the synagogue. Lavater wrote to him, urging 
him to embrace the Gospel ; but Mendelsohn, in reply, 
stated his reasons for continuing in the faith of his fathers.* 


* One of these was his persuasion that Judaism, while it contained a 
large number of divine precepts, suitable for the guidance of men in life, 
was entirely destitute of religious doctrines. “ These/’ he says, “ the 
Eternal always reveals to us as to all other men, through nature and fact, 


I 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


307 


He distinguished himself by his opposition to rabbinism, and 
by his endeavors to awaken the Jews to a love of science 
and literature. His efforts, in both respects, were attended 
with much success, especially among the younger members 
of the community. Previously to his time, German was re¬ 
garded by the Jews with abhorrence as a Gentile language ; 
and while Hebrew was the dialect of the learned, the illite¬ 
rate made use of a mixture of old German with oriental 
and rabbinical terms. But now many found in the noble lite¬ 
rature, which was then fast attaining its zenith, more than 
a substitute for the ponderous volumes of the Hebrew 
sages. Kimchi and Maimonides gave place to Schiller and 
Goethe. It is to be feared that Mendelsohn had imbibed 
the spirit of that infidelity which so unhappily characterized 
the literary men with whom he was fond of associating ; 
and many of his youthful admirers renounced the supersti¬ 
tions of their fathers only to plunge into the depths of scep¬ 
ticism. His principal works are the “ Jerusalem,” in which 
he asserts, that Judaism was, from the first, intended merely 
as a civil institution ; and the “ Phaedon,” a dialogue on the 
immortality of the soul, of which the idea was taken from 
the work of Plato bearing the same name. The characters 
are the same with those of the Grecian treatise ; and the 
descriptive parts are mere translations of the original. But 
for the arguments introduced by the ancient, he substituted 
others better adapted to modern readers; the principal of 
which was refuted by Kant in one of his philosophical 
works. The Phaedon procured for its author the title of 
the Jewish Socrates, and has been translated into almost 
every European language. He died in 1785, at the age of 
fifty-six. 

Mendelsohn’s efforts were ably seconded by Hartwig 
Wesseley and David Friedlander, who, though both en¬ 
gaged in mercantile pursuits, found leisure to promote the 
cause of intellectual advancement. They especially directed 


not by word or writing/’ This distinction is an ingenious, but an infidel 


one. 



308 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


their attention to an improvement of the previous rabbinical 
system of instructing the young. Friedlander assumed the 
active superintendence of an elementary free-school at Ber¬ 
lin, which had been established by the liberality of himself 
and other Jews. In 1783 a society was founded at Konigs- 
berg, who undertook the publication of the first periodical 
that has ever appeared among the Israelites. It was de¬ 
nominated “ Measseph,” or, “the Gatherer,” and, in addi¬ 
tion to articles of general literature, admitted essays on the 
abuses of rabbinism, and suggestions for a reform of that 
system. It contributed considerably to the progress of the 
new opinions.* 

In the dominions of the Emperor of Germany the Jews 
were in general tolerated, although they were occasionally 
subjected to annoyance, and even danger, from the super¬ 
stition and fanaticism of the populace. Amidst the number 
of reforms (often precipitate and indigested) which Joseph 
II. sought to accomplish, one of the first was an ameliora¬ 
tion of their condition. He promulgated an edict, freeing 
them from the poll-tax to which they had been subjected ; 
from the necessity of wearing distinctions in dress ; and of 
living in separate parts of the various towns throughout his 
dominions. He allowed them to practise every kind of 
trade, except that in gunpowder, and to attend fairs in cities 
where they were not domiciliated. He sought by every 
means to prepare the way for a gradual but complete amal¬ 
gamation of them with the other inhabitants of the empire ; 
and, the better to effect this end, he enforced upon them the 
necessity of instituting primary schools for their youth. He 
laid his universities open to them, adding the privilege of 
taking degrees in philosophy, civil law, and medicine. He 
even assigned stipends to those students who should distin¬ 
guish themselves most. Some years later they were made 
liable to military conscription ; though, like all Austrian 
subjects who did not belong to the aristocracy, they were 


* M’Caul’s Sketches, p. 43—54. Penny Cyclopedia, article Mendel 
sohn. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


S09 


prevented from attaining any higher rank than that of non¬ 
commissioned officers. 

But Germany, in this stirring age, distinguished herself 
by an effort of a much nobler kind than even the most wise 
and benevolent attempt to ameliorate the civil condition of 
the Jews. In the city of Halle, in Saxony, was established 
the Callenberg Institution, the first society formed for the 
purpose of sending the Gospel to that people. It originated 
in the devoted piety of John H. Callenberg, a professor 
in the university, who was the instrument of awakening 
a considerable interest in the spiritual welfare of the seed of 
Abraham. As the clergy, however, became more and more 
infected with the doctrines of rationalism, they grew careless 
about the propagation of a religion which they did not them¬ 
selves believe ; and the Institution, like many other similar 
foundations, became more and more feeble in its efforts, for 
want of funds, until it was finally extinguished, about the 
period of the French revolution, having continued in exist¬ 
ence sixty years. Yet its labors were not altogether in vain. 
At first two students of divinity were employed to distribute 
tracts, and converse with the Jews in their own dialect, en¬ 
deavoring to remove their prejudices against Christianity, 
and to show them how well adapted its doctrines are to the 
condition of the human race. Pious persons of different 
professions and trades in similar ways helped forward the 
good cause. The society issued a very interesting publica¬ 
tion in the journal of its most distinguished missionary, 
Schultze, who travelled through Europe, Asia, and Egypt, 
earnestly laboring to bring the ancient people of God to a 
belief in that Messiah whom they had so long rejected. The 
exertions of so zealous and devoted a servant of the Lord 
were not unblessed by Him in whose cause he wrought. 
The Institution likewise translated into Hebrew various por¬ 
tions of the New Testament,* and circulated them exten- 


* Great ignorance of the Old Testament is stated to have prevailed 
among the Israelites visited by the missionaries. Even the most learned 
were far better versed in the Talmud than the Law and the Prophets. 




310 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


sively among the Jews. Along with other works published 
by the society were several tracts, in which the Gospel was 
recommended to the attention of the Jews, and the objec¬ 
tions cherished by them against it were removed. One of 
these was the portion of Grotius de Yeritate, which contains 
a refutation of Judaism. Various anecdotes illustrating the 
interest manifested by Israelites in these treatises are men¬ 
tioned by Callenberg, in his account of the labors of the 
society ; and several copies of them have been lately discov¬ 
ered among the Jews of Poland and Syria. It is not many 
years since the Gospel of St. Luke, translated and published 
in 1733, was found at Bombay in the possession of an un¬ 
converted Israelite, who would not part with it except for a 
complete Bible. The book obtained under such interesting 
circumstances, was brought to England.* 

About the same time, also, the Moravians, ever zealous 
in the cause of religion, interested themselves in the spiritual 
welfare of the Jews. They introduced into their liturgy 
the following prayer :—“ Deliver the ten tribes of Israel 
from their blindness and estrangement, and make us ac¬ 
quainted with their seared ones. Bring in the tribe of Judah 
in its time, and bless its first fruits among us, until the full¬ 
ness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel be saved.” 
The first efforts of the United Brethren for the conversion 
of God’s ancient people were made by a clergyman named 
Dober, who, on his return from a mission to the West 
Indies, pursued his benevolent object for some time among 
the Jews of Amsterdam and London. Another zealous 
laborer in the same cause was the Rev. Samuel Lieberkuhn, 
a good oriental scholar, as well as a sound divine. From a 
statement made by him to the synod at Marienborn in 1764, 
it appears that his efforts had been principally made in the 
way of conversation, and that he dwelt chiefly upon the great 
truth that Jesus is the Messiah. He softened the prejudices 
of many by inculcating upon them the somewhat quostion- 


* Gillies’ Historical Collections, vol. ii. p. 461—467. Quarterly Review 
vol. xxxviii. 





HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


811 


able dogma, which, however, he conscientiously held, that 
Israelites, on being converted, were not required to give up 
the ceremonial law. Hence the synod, while commending 
his zeal, did not absolutely sanction his method of proce¬ 
dure.* 

We may now turn our attention to France. Although 
the edict of Charles VI. had never been repealed, the Jews, 
who were settled in the provinces annexed since that time 
to the French kingdom, were not required to go into exile. 
For example, there were a considerable number in the 
territory of Avignon, formerly belonging to the pope, and in 
the state of Alsace, which was a recent acquisition. But, 
though allowed to reside, they were, in the latter province 
at least, by no means exempt from persecution ; and, accord¬ 
ingly, in 1780, they presented a petition to the king in coun¬ 
cil, complaining of the burdens to which they were sub¬ 
jected. They were not only obliged to pay for the royal 
patent of protection, which alone entitled them to dwell 
within the territory of France, but in addition to this, were 
required by the nobles to purchase the privilege of remain¬ 
ing on their lands. From this tax, imposed by the lord of 
the soil, no age, sex, or rank was exempted ; and the benefit 
which it conferred did not descend even for one generation, 
but was renewed for each individual. Their commerce was 
likewise burdened with many restrictions; and the clergy 
were indefatigable in inveigling their children from them, 
and constraining them to submit to baptism. They wished 
that all renunciation of Judaism should be forbidden, under 
the age of twelve years. Nor was the appeal to the justice 
of Louis XVI. fruitless ; the capitation tax was abolished in 
1784; and four years afterwards, a commission was ap¬ 
pointed, at the head of which was placed the celebrated 
Malesherbes, to take into consideration all the laws relative 


* Periodical Accounts of the United Brethren, vol. xv. p. 153—159. In 
the same volume, pp. 201—206, 249—254, will be found an interesting 
autobiography of J. S. Reinhold, a convert from Judaism, who died 
in 1839. 



312 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


to the Israelites, and re-model them according to the princi¬ 
ples of the strictest equity.* The Abbe Gregorie obtained 
the prize for an essay on the best means of ameliorating their 
condition, and his work was very generally applauded. But 
the progress of the revolution put an end to the schemes ot 
Louis for the welfare of the ancient people. Their cause 
was espoused by some of the leaders of the revolutionary 
party, such as Mirabeau, whose efforts were much more 
successful than any which the insulted monarch could have 
made in their behalf. The National Assembly, in 1791, 
admitted the Hebrew population to equal rights with other 
citizens ; but the measure was not carried without consider¬ 
able opposition. Five years afterwards a similar decree was 
passed in Holland. 

Among the coincidences observed in the adminstrations of 
Cromwell and Bonaparte, it has been remarked, that both 
turned their thoughts to the condition of the Jews. But the 
Emperor of France was more unfettered than the Protector 
of England ; and his designs were not, like those of the 
other, baffled by the jealousy of the people over whom 
he ruled. In 1S06 he summoned a grand Sanhedrim to 
meet at Paris ; and to this assembly of deputies were sum¬ 
moned, not only from every part of France, but from the 
German and Italian districts adjacent to it. It is probable 
that Napoleon, whose unrivalled success had made him con¬ 
fident that he could surmount every obstruction to his un¬ 
dertakings, conceived the possibility of bending the Jewish 
religion completely to his purposes.! He could not but 


* “ Perriera, a Portuguese Jew, attained to great celebrity as intepreter 
at the King’s library in Paris, and deserves the thanks of mankind, as 
being the first who successfully attempted the instruction of the deaf and 
dumb. He exhibited the effects of his labors on several pupils, and read a 
memoir on the subject before the Academy in 1749.” M’Caul, p. 54. 

t This is manifest, from a speech of M. Mole, one of the Imperial 
Commissioners at the Assembly of 1806. u The duties of the great San¬ 
hedrim,” he says, “ shall be to convert into religious doctrines the answers 
already given by this assembly, and likewise those which may result from 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


313 


observe the value of directing to the furtherance of his de¬ 
signs the rapid correspondence of the Jews throughout the 
civilized world, which outstripped even the speed of his 
own couriers, as well as the great command of the precious 
metals which they possessed. The complete development 
of his plans was probably arrested by the reverses he after¬ 
wards sustained, and which obliged him to direct his atten¬ 
tion to matters of more pressing interest. The lirst injunc¬ 
tion which he gave to the Sanhedrim was to return answers 
to twelve questions which he put to them ; and as these 
were of considerable consequence, we shall enumerate 
them, specifying, at the same time, the replies which the 
deputies gave, although they cannot be regarded as embody¬ 
ing the opinions of the Jews with absolute authority. The 
questions were as follows :—1. Is polygamy allowed among 
the Jews ? 2. Is divorce recognized by the Jewish law ? 

3. Can Jews intermarry with Christians ? 4. Will the 

Jews regard the French people as strangers or as brethren ? 
5. In what relation, according to the Jewish law, would 
the Jews stand towards the French ? 6. Do Jews born in 

France consider it their native land, and are they bound to 
obey the laws and customs of the country ? 7. Who are 

the electors of the rabbis ? 8. What legal powers do the 

rabbis possess ? 9. Are the election and authority of the 

rabbis grounded on law, or merely on custom ? 10. Are 

the Jews forbidden to engage in any business ? 11. Is usury 

to their brethren prohibited by the law ? 12. Is it lawful or 

unlawful to practise usury with strangers ? The following 
are the answers given by the Sanhedrim :—1. Polygamy 
is unlawful, according to a decree of the synod of Worms 
in 1030. 2. Divorce is permitted to the Jews; but in this 

respect they cheerfully acquiesce in the decisions of the civil 
law of the land in which they reside. 3. Intermarriages 
with Christians are not prohibited ; but difficulties arise from 


the continuance of your sittings.” The reply of the president anticipates 
that their decrees “ should become rules of faith for all the Jewish con¬ 
gregations of the western world.” 

27 



314 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


the different forms of marriage. 4. The Jews of France 
recognize the French people as in the fullest sense their 
brethren. 5. The relation of the Jew to the Frenchman is 
the same as that of the Jew to the Jew. The only dis¬ 
tinction between them is their religion. 6. The Jews, even 
while subject to oppression, acknowledged France as their 
country ; and they have now much stronger motives to do 
so, by their recent admission to civil rights. 7. There is 
no definite or uniform rule for the election of the rabbis ; it 
generally rests with the heads of each family in the com¬ 
munity. 8. The rabbis have no judical power ; the Sanhe¬ 
drim is the only legal tribunal. As the Jews of France and 
Italy are subject to the equal laws of the land, they have 
no inducement to confer any jurisdiction upon their teach¬ 
ers. 9. The election and authority of the rabbis are regu¬ 
lated solely by usage. 10. The Jews are allowed to engage 
in every kind of business. The Talmud enjoins that every 
Israelite be taught some trade. 11, 12. The Mosaic law 
forbids unlawful interest ; but this was a regulation intended 
for an agricultural people. The Talmud allows interest to 
be taken from brethren and strangers, but forbids usury. 

A regular plan was formed by Napoleon for the organiza¬ 
tion of the Jews throughout the empire. Every two thou¬ 
sand of them were to form a synagogue and a consistory, 
which was to be composed of one principal and two inferior 
rabbis, with three householders of the town where the con¬ 
sistory was held. This body was to elect twenty-five nota¬ 
bles, above thirty years old, for their council ; for which all 
bankrupts and usurers were to be held ineligible. The 
consistory was required to watch over the behavior of the 
rabbis, taking care that they taught nothing contrary to the 
answers given by the deputies to the emperor. The central 
consistory of Paris was to be a supreme tribunal, having the 
power of appointing or deposing the rabbis, who were 
enjoined to make' public the decrees of the Sanhedrim ; to 
inculcate obedience to the laws ; to urge their people to 
enter into the military service ; and to pray in the synagogues 
for the welfare of the imperial family. In 1807, the Sanhe- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


315 


drim assembled with great pomp, and sanctioned generally 
the decrees made by the deputies the year before. The 
whole system of organization was confirmed by an imperial 
edict. The satisfaction which the Jews might naturally feel 
at the favorable disposition of the emperor, was in some 
degree damped by an ordinance, which he soon after issued, 
with special regard to those of the Rhenish provinces. It 
prohibited them from lending money to minors without the 
consent of their guardians ; to wives without the knowledge 
of their husbands ; or to soldiers without the sanction of 
their officers. It made void all bills for which “value 
received ” could not be proved. It further obliged all Jews 
engaged in commerce to take out a patent, and all strangers 
to invest some property in land or agriculture. 

In the kingdom of Westphalia, Napoleon lent his sanction 
to the benevolent efforts of an Israelite, named Jacobson, 
who had for several years devoted his energies to the cause 
of education. Elementary schools were established, and an 
institution for teachers erected, under the superintendence 
of government. A report, made in 1808, of the number of 
the Jews in the territories of France, gave the amount at 
eighty thousand. There were twelve hundred and thirty- 
two landed proprietors, without reckoning the owners of 
houses ; seven hundred and ninety-seven in the army, two 
thousand three hundred and sixty artisans, and two hundred 
and fifty manufacturers. But even the despotic power of 
Bonaparte could not amalgamate the Jews with his other 
subjects, or give them the principles and sentiments of 
Frenchmen. It has been remarked, that “ the mass of the 
Israelites were by no means inclined to merge their hopes in 
the destinies of the empire,—exchange Zion for Montmartre, 
and Jerusalem for Paris.” Even the most cautious and 
prudent measure must have failed»of success; because the 
word of prophecy remaineth sure, that “ the people shall 
dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations,” 
(Nu mbers xxiii. 9.) But the impious flattery of some of 
the infidel Jews whom he had gained over, effectually dis¬ 
gusted their conscientious brethren. On the 15th of August, 


316 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


the emperor’s birth-day, they blended the cipher of Napo¬ 
leon and Josephine with the ineffable name of Jehovah, and 
elevated the imperial eagle above the representation of the 
Ark of the Covenant! No Jew, who really adhered to the 
faith of his fathers, could for a moment tolerate such 
audacious adulation, which in effect placed the Creator and 
the creature on the same level.* 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

Present State of the Jews—Jews of England—Jews of Germany and 
France—Infidelity prevalent among them—Edicts of the Russian Gov¬ 
ernment—Polish Jews—Karaites in the Crimea—In Lithuania—At Con¬ 
stantinople—Affecting Service of those at Jerusalem—Jews at Leghorn 
—Jews in the Papal States—Antipathy between the Greeks and Jews— 
Recent Decree of the Ottoman Porte in favor of the Jews—Mehemet 
Ali—Persecution at Damascus—Attachment of the Jews to the Holy 
Land—Their recent returning to it in considerable numbers—Their Cities 
there—Singular Petition of the Polish Jews—Unfortunate Condition of 
the Jews in Persia—The Rechabites—Jews in Yemen and Aden—Fate 
of the Ten Tribes—The Affghans—The Israelites of Daghistan—The 
Beni-Israel—Their Customs and Rites—White and Black Jews of 
Cochin—Charter granted to the former by the Emperor of Malabar— 
Curious Version of the New Testament—Jews in Egypt—In the Bar¬ 
bary States—In Morocco—In the United States. 

In directing our attention to the present state of the Jews, 
it is natural to begin with those resident in England. Among 
them the Talmud still retains its authority ; and they have 
shown no symptoms of the liberalism, displayed by many of 
their brethren in Germany. 

The number of Jews in the British metropolis is stated to 
be about eighteen thousand ; and in the other parts of Eng- 


* Milman, vol. iii. M’Caul’s Sketches, p. 55—63. Quarterly Review, 
vol. lxiii. 





HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


317 


land, about nine thousand. It is well known that there are 
several members of their community remarkable for wealth ; 
and one gentleman, Mr. Hyman Hurtwitz, professor of He¬ 
brew in University College, London, has distinguished him¬ 
self by repeated publications displaying a minute acquaint¬ 
ance with rabbinical literature. Coleridge, who cultivated 
his acquaintance, in more than one passage of his works 
mentions him in the highest terms. 

The Jews are debarred by law from being members of 
parliament, and from filling various offices in this country. 
The act 9th Geo. IV. c. 17, substitutes for the sacramental 
test a form of declaration to be made by any person admitted 
to the corporate offices, or appointed to the places mentioned 
in the statute. The asseveration in question contains the 
words, “upon the true faith of a Christian;” and this 
expression is likewise to be found in the abjuration oath, 
which has the effect of excluding Hebrews from the House 
of Commons. (1 Geo. I. st. ii. c. 13 ; 6 Geo. III. c. 53.) 
Sundry attempts have been made, but hitherto without suc¬ 
cess, to procure the abrogation of these enactments. 

Yes, British Christians, says an eminent British divine, is 
it not a disgrace to our national legislation ?—is it not a foul 
blot on the statute-book of our country, that while uncon¬ 
trolled and lavish support is now proposed to be given for 
the instruction of the Papists, it has been decided that any 
legacy given for the instruction of the poor Jew, in his own 
religion, is not one which will be supported by the court of 
chancery ? 

Passing from Britain to the Continent, we may remark, 
that the Emperor Francis I. of Austria continued the exer¬ 
tions of his predecessor, Joseph II., to ameliorate the condi¬ 
tion of the Jews. But such are the advantages of the Jew 
there, that he can never rise to a higher post than a common 
soldier ; neither can a Jew act as a lawyer, or physician, or 
professor of any kind ; and in the capital they can hold no 
landed property. Various sovereigns of Germany, before 
the downfall of Napoleon, such as the grand duke of Baden, 
in 1809 ; the king of Prussia, in 1812 ; the duke of Meck- 
27 * 


318 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


lenberg-Schwerin, in the same year ; the king of Bavaria, 
in 1813, issued ordinances admitting their Jewish subjects to 
civil rights ; exempting them from excessive imposts ; and 
throwing open to them all trades and professions. The late 
Frederic-William especially distinguished himself by his 
efforts to improve their situation ; and they fully shared in 
all those wise and benevolent schemes which entitled this 
truly Christian monarch to the appellation of Father of his 
People. It is stated that they showed themselves thoroughly 
sensible of his kindness, and strongly attached to his govern¬ 
ment. Several of them entered the army, and no small 
number fell in the ranks at Waterloo. From others of the 
German states, also, many of the Jews joined the patriot 
armies, formed with enthusiastic zeal, in 1813, to break the 
yoke of Napoleon, which galled their country so heavily ; 
and the activity and courage they displayed were unequivo¬ 
cally evinced by medals and other decorations. It was, 
therefore, not without good reason that they might expect 
the abolition of all the vexatious or oppressive enactments 
which had been made against them in more barbarous times. 
Accordingly, in 1815, when the overthrow of the tyrant had 
been completed, the Germanic Confederation, assembled at 
Vienna, declared as follows, in its sixteenth article : — “ The 
diet will take into consideration in what way the civil ameli¬ 
oration of the professors of the Jewish religion may best be 
effected ; and, in particular, how the enjoyment of all civil 
duties may be most effectually secured to them in the states 
of the Confederation. In the mean time, the professors of 
this faith shall continue to enjoy the rights already extended 
to them.” 

But, although various German governments had thus 
shown themselves favorable to their claims, the Jews were 
by no means regarded with kindness by all classes of the 
community. In several of the great trading towns, such as 
Hamburgh, Lubeck, Bremen, and particularly Frankfort, 
there is even yet much jealousy shown towards them, on 
account of their commercial enterprise, which makes them 
dangerous rivals of their Christian neighbors. They were 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


319 


exposed to the dislike of the higher classes for another 
reason. Many of the noble proprietors of the soil had been 
so impoverished by the impositions of the French, and other 
circumstances, arising out of the disastrous condition of 
their country during the period of Napoleon’s sway, that 
they were obliged to dispose of their estates, which fre¬ 
quently passed into the hands of Jews, the principal holders 
of ready money. Men, whose pride equalled their poverty, 
could not witness with composure the castles and manors, 
which had descended to them through many generations, 
thus becoming the property of persons without rank or title, 
and having no other distinction than that of great wealth. 
The feelings of the unfortunate aristocracy were in no small 
degree shared by other classes, who did not see old associa¬ 
tions severed without a pang, and considered the new comers 
as impertinent upstarts. Besides this, some of the Israelites 
had acquired riches by entering largely into the contracts 
made with the French emperor, for the prosecution of his 
military enterprises ; which rendered them especially ob¬ 
noxious to the German patriots, who so justly detested that 
adventurer for his tyranny. Nor were those who had thus 
amassed wealth by various means, so careful as prudence 
might have taught them to be, to avoid that ostentation 
which has been often observed as the consequence of sud¬ 
denly accumulated riches, and which is never displayed 
without provoking the jealousy of the higher, and the hatred 
of the lower ranks. All these causes combined to occasion 
riotous proceeding against them,* which broke out in 1820 , 
first at Meiningen, then at Wurtzburg, and finally extended 
to the Rhine. At Hamburgh, and even so far north as 
Copenhagen, serious disturbances soon followed j and it 
required the utmost vigilance of the several governments to 
prevent their bursting forth in various other places. But 


* It is a carious fact, that the old cry of “ Hep! Hep! ” which was 
used in the German massacres of the Jews in the middle ages, was revived 
upon the occasion of the riots noticed above. Hep is supposed to be the 
contraction of Hierosolyma est perdita—Jerusalem is destroyed. 



320 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


these disorders were speedily checked by the exertions of 
the authorities, who honorably resolved that the nineteenth 
century should not be disgraced by a repetition of the san¬ 
guinary tumults of the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth. 
Nine years later, when the states of Wirtemberg were 
discussing a measure which extended civil rights to the 
Israelites, the populace of Stutgard surrounded the Hall of 
Assembly with savage outcries,—“Down with the Jews! 
down with the friends of the Jews!” The states calmly 
maintained their dignity, continued their sittings, and event¬ 
ually passed the bill which was so disagreeable to the fanat¬ 
ical mob. 

Within the present century the German Jews have greatly 
advanced in knowledge and intellectual cultivation. The 
impulse communicated by Mendelsohn to the minds of his 
countrymen has not subsided ; hence many of them attend 
the universities, and apply themselves with much success to 
the attainment of literature and science. Previously to the 
time of the author just named, the German had been de¬ 
spised by them as an unholy language ; but it has now 
become the favorite study of the more liberal among them, 
who appreciate as eagerly and as skilfully as their neighbors 
the noble works which, during the last century, have im¬ 
mortalized the literature of their native land. Nor have 
they by any means confined their attention to one tongue, 
rich and varied as that may be ; they have extended their 
studies to those of ancient and modern Europe, and the 
different departments of mental and physical science. Sev¬ 
eral of them have distinguished themselves in the career of 
authorship ; proving to the world that, where the Hebrew 
intellect has free scope to develop its powers, it may worth¬ 
ily claim the attention and respect of every unprejudiced 
Christian. But, at the same time, it must not be concealed, 
that many of the Jews have emancipated themselves from 
the thraldom of rabbinical superstition, only to be bewildered 
in the not less dangerous mazes of rationalism and infidelity. 
It was hardly to be expected that, in a country where so 
many men, eminent in literature and science, were avowedly 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


321 


or secretly hostile to religion, the educated Israelite alone 
should be proof against the noxious influence of the atmos¬ 
phere around them. Accordingly, we find that many of 
them hardly take any pains to conceal their sceptical opin¬ 
ions ; and they have established a kind of reformed worship, 
with views opposed to all revelation. As they possess news¬ 
papers and other periodicals, they are by no means at a loss 
for channels through which to propagate their sentiments; 
and they have exchanged their once fondly cherished hopes 
of a restoration to their native land, under the guidance of 
the Messiah, for a zealous participation in the various 
schemes of revolutionary change, which from time to time 
appear to perplex and alarm the sovereigns of Germany. 
The contagion of infidelity has extended from thence into 
Poland, where many proselytes have been made among the 
Hebrew population. In France, as might be apprehended, 
similar feelings prevail; the external garb of Judaism, as 
well as of Popery, is worn by many, who, in their hearts, 
despise and hate all revealed religion whatsoever. Some 
have even gone so far as to throw aside the name of Jews, 
and assume the appellation of Frenchmen-Israelites, or 
adherents of Mosaism ; professing to consider the emancipa¬ 
tion from all civil disabilities which followed the Revolu¬ 
tion, as sufficiently realizing the expectations once enter¬ 
tained respecting the Messiah. These opinions are sup¬ 
ported in a journal which bears the imposing name of “The 
Regeneration, destined to the Improvement, moral and 
religious, of the Israelitish People and is conducted by 
some of the most learned of their body in Paris, Brussels, 
and Frankfort. 

But, although sceptical principles have made considerable 
progress among them in various parts of Europe, Judaism 
may still boast of many most devoted adherents. Even in 
Germany there are multitudes of steady supporters of rab- 
binism; but their chief strength is in Poland, where they 
are less exposed to disturbing influences. With reference 
more immediately to the German Jews, it has been lately 
said, “ the rabbinists, notwithstanding the exclusiveness of 


322 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


their studies, must be considered as an educated people, per¬ 
haps more so than any other upon earth. Dr. M’Caul, a 
man every way competent to bear witness on the subject, 
speaking of the Jews, says, u After long acquaintance with 
the nation, I must confess, that I believe them to be a highly 
gifted and highly intellectual people ; and that, so far from 
being characterized by love of money, more individuals who 
have sacrificed the pursuit of wealth to the pursuit of learn¬ 
ing—more individuals who, amidst every possible disad¬ 
vantage of poverty and destitute circumstances, have become 
learned, could be pointed out amongst them, than amongst 
any other people.” The zeal of individuals, even the poor¬ 
est, prompts them to undertake the office of teachers ; and, 
so content are they with small remuneration, that nearly a 
dozen Melammedims might be maintained by the salary re¬ 
quired for one English schoolmaster. Parents and relations 
will endure the greatest privations to save a sufficient sum 
for the education of their children ; and oftentimes, where 
the income of a single family is inadequate, five or six will 
make a common purse to provide the salary of a tutor. 

The Russian government has, during the nineteenth cen¬ 
tury, frequently interfered with the condition of its Israelit- 
ish subjects. A ukase of the Emperor Alexander, in 1824, 
directed the removal of all the Jews resident in his Polish 
provinces, except such as should devote themselves to “ solid 
mercantile business,” or to the practice of medicine. All of 
them were ordered to give up small trading, the manage¬ 
ment of distilleries, and similar employments, and to prepare 
for migration to a tract of territory w here they were to apply 
themselves to agriculture ; and, as an inducement to do so, 
it was promised that they should be free from all taxes for a 
limited period. Alexander appears to have become jealous 
of the dense Hebrew population in Poland ; perhaps imagin¬ 
ing that in case of any future disturbance in a country by no 
means reconciled to the Russian yoke, they might prove for¬ 
midable allies to the insurgents. He therefore deemed it 
advisable to transport many of them to other parts of the 
empire, where the inhabitants were as yet but few in num- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


S23 


ber. About the same time he decreed the abolition of the 
power of the rabbis, which was previously very great, and 
transferred their authority to the elders of the various com¬ 
munities. He assigned, as his reason for this proceeding, 
the charges of malversation brought against the teachers. 
In like manner he endeavored to establish a system of educa¬ 
tion for his Hebrew subjects, which, by its comprehensive¬ 
ness and excellence, might supersede the plan of instruction 
heretofore pursued by the rabbis. Some years ago his 
brother Nicholas issued ukases in quick succession,* re¬ 
straining the Jews from all traffic throughout the interior 
government of Russia. They are absolutely prohibited (on 
pain of immediate banishment) from “ offering any article 
to sale,”f whether in public or private, either by themselves 
or by others. They are not allowed to reside, even for a 
limited period, in any of the cities of Russia, without an 
express permission from government, which is granted only 
in cases where their services are necessary, or directly bene¬ 
ficial to the state. A refusal to depart when they become 
obnoxious to so rigid a law subjects them to be treated as 
vagrants ; and none are suffered to protect or to shelter 
them. Though the observance of such edicts must, in 
numerous instances, leave them destitute of any means of 
support, yet their breach or neglect exposes them to oppres¬ 
sion under the sanction of the law, and to every privation 
and insult without remedy or appeal. And though they 
may thus become the greatest objects of pity, all laws of 
humanity are reversed, by imperial decrees, towards them4 


* ]5th November, 1797. 25th February, 1823. 8th June, 1826. (August 
or November), 1827. 

f Ukase, quoted from u The World” of date 31st October, 1827. Ib. 
Article viii. 

f Note .—While the prophecies describe the past and existing miseries 
of the Jews, they refer with no less precision to the time yet to come, 
when the children of Israel shall have returned to the loved land of their 
fathers, and their rebuke shall have ceased from off the face of the earth, 
and when they shall prize their blessings the more highly, as contrasted 



324 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


For those who harbor Jews that are condemned to banish¬ 
ment for having done what all others may innocently do, are, 
as the last Russian ukase respecting them bears, “ amena¬ 
ble to the laws as the abettors of vagrants,” and, as in 
numberless instances besides, no man shall save them. 

An edict, was also directed against those teachers, who 
were to be immediately excluded by the police from any 
city or town which they might enter. The higher class of 
merchants, such as bill-brokers and contractors, were by this 
ukase obliged to have an express protection from govern¬ 
ment ; while artisans and handicraftmen, though encour¬ 
aged, were subjected to vexatious police regulations, and 
obliged to become members of some guild or fraternity. A 
more recent law allows Jews employed by the crown to 
engage in commerce and keep shops. 

Lord Byron’s brief and emphatic description of the Jews 
is equally characteristic of the fact, and illustrative of the 
predictions. 

Tribes of the wandering foot and iveary breast, 

When shall we flee away and be at rest ? 

Another hard blow has just been levelled against the 
unfortunate Jews of Russia. In virtue of a new ukase, all 
Jews inhabiting the open country are to be driven into the 
towns. But all Jews not possessing immoveable property 
shall be unable to obtain the right of citizenship ; that is, 
they are not to be allowed to carry on any trade, but are to 


with the former sufferings of their race. And the Word of God, con¬ 
firmed as its prophetic truth is by the workings of the wrath of man, and 
by the policy of earthly monarchs, will doubtless triumph over the highest 
mandates of mortals, and receive new illustrations of its truth when these 
shall have passed away. And the eleventh article of the ukase now in 
force merits, in reference to a special prediction, particular notice, and 
may here be subjoined, together with its corresponding text, premising 
merely that it is to a specific district of dismembered Poland that the 
Tabbis are sent away. “ Thy teachers shall not be removed into a corner 
any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.” Isaiah xxx. 20. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


325 


be given over to starvation, should they decline the proffered 
alternative of turning Russian Catholics. 

The Russian Government has imposed on its Jewish 
subjects a new tax, under the name of a Sabbath-light tax. 
The revenue derived therefrom is to be employed in support 
of schools to be established. These, however, do not yet 
exist, while the tax is already levied. It is generally feared 
that the impost will remain, even though the schools be not 
instituted. 

At a naval review, lately held before the emperor, the 
monarch was exceedingly pleased with the skill in seaman¬ 
ship evinced by two sailors, whom he immediately promoted 
to the rank of officers. On being informed that they were 
Jews, the emperor called on them to turn Christians, and 
when they refused, he used hard language, and even threat¬ 
ened them. Upon this they begged as a favor, in order to 
show themselves quite worthy of the distinction, to be 
allowed to perform another feat of seamanship. Having 
been permitted, they plunged into the sea, never more to 
emerge! 

The Journal des Debats publishes the following letter, dat¬ 
ed St. Petersburg, 29th February: “ A new tax has been im¬ 
posed on the Russian Isrealites. An imperial ukase, which 
has been published on the proposition of the senate, com¬ 
mands that for every head of horned cattle slaughtered by 
the Jewish butchers, according to the Jewish rite, a tax of 
tw'enty-one silver roubles (£3 10s.) shall be paid ; and that 
moreover, all the portions of the animal which are consid¬ 
ered unwholesome or impure by the Israelites, and which 
the Jewish butchers formerly sold to the Christians, shall 
hereafter be buried under ground, or destroyed in any other 
manner, in the presence of police agents. In consequence 
of these two measures, of which the latter is founded on 
the fact, that Jews are not justified in selling to Christians 
a food which they consider unfit for use ; the pure meat, 
according to the Jewish doctors, will cost the exorbitant 
price of fifty silver kopecks, or Is. 6d. per pound weight; 
so that the less wealthy classes of the Israelites, who form 
28 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


*26 

five-sixths of the Jewish population of Russia, will find them¬ 
selves compelled to abandon the use of meat, as the Russian 
Jews, who are most strict in the observance of their religion, 
will never consent to use food forbidden by their priests. 
The object of the ukase appears to destroy the distinction 
existing between the Israelites and the other subjects of the 
emperor of Russia. 55 

It will be evident from the facts just stated, that the Polish 
Israelites under the Russian government do not now enjoy 
those great privileges which, in former times, led some 
authors to give to their country the name of the “ Jews 5 
Paradise. 55 They are oppressed on every side, yet dare not 
complain ; robbed and defrauded, yet obtain no redress ; in 
the walk of social life, insult and contempt meet them at 
every turning. The children in the streets often throw 
stones at the most respectable Jews, and call them opprobri¬ 
ous names. If a Christian comes into a coflee-house, where 
he sees some Jews sitting, his^nows zeal prompts him imme¬ 
diately to utter some expression of insolent contempt, with 
which the proverbs and common sayings of his country 
amply supply him ; such as ‘ I would rather kill a Jew than 
do so and so ; 5 and many similar expressions of malevo¬ 
lence. The enmity displayed by the common people finds 
vent with special fury at the season of Easter. 

In the Russian dominions are two of the chief settlements 
of the Karaites, of which we have already spoken. These 
occupy a mountain-rock in the Crimea, and the shores of a 
beautiful lake at Troki, in Lithuania ; the inhabitants of the 
latter place stating themselves to be the descendants of a 
colony sent thither four hundred years ago. In a petition 
addressed by them to the Empress Catherine, these sectari¬ 
ans affirm that their ancestors had no share in the crucifixion 
of Jesus Christ ; and this assertion, which in other circum¬ 
stances we might have conceived to have been made for the 
purpose of interesting in their favor a Christian government, 
derives great weight from the irreproachable character which 
the Karaites every where enjoy. Dr. Clark and other trav¬ 
ellers have described in glowing terms the picturesque 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


S27 


fortress, called Djufut-Kale, or the Jews’ Castle ; the steep 
ascent by which the narrow path winds up to it ; and the 
beautiful sepulchral grove, which form remarkable features 
in the Crimean settlement. The houses of this town are all 
constructed in the oriental style, with the windows looking 
into the courts, and are surrounded by a high wall of stone. 
There are two synagogues in the place. The burying- 
ground is termed “The Valley of Jehoshaphatand the 
tombstones, which are generally of white marble, are ar¬ 
ranged in regular rows. The oldest of them, according to 
its Hebrew inscription, was erected in 1364, not quite five 
hundred years ago. About the beginning of the last century 
the Karaites had peculiar privileges conferred upon them, in 
consequence of a cure performed upon a sister of the reign¬ 
ing Khan. They strictly observe the Sabbath, neither 
lighting a candle nor kindling a fire from Friday at sunset 
to the same time the following evening. The gates of the 
fortress are kept shut during the whole of this period. Their 
number is about five thousand ; and several of them, who 
are established as merchants at Odessa, bear a very good 
character for honesty. 

The inhabitants of Djufut-Kale possess a curious Tartar 
Targum, or version of the Old Testament, a copy of which 
was inspected by Dr. Henderson during his stay at Astra¬ 
khan. It consists of four volumes in quarto, and is com¬ 
plete, with the exception of the two books of Chronicles. 
Being servilely literal, it is of no practical use, as the 
Hebrew and Tartar languages differ widely in their struc¬ 
ture. Indeed, no person can understand it who is not pre¬ 
viously acquainted with the original dialect of the Old Tes¬ 
tament.* 

The Lithuanian Karaites amounted, some years ago, to 
only about one hundred and sixty ; and, like their brethren, 
they wear the dress of the country which they inhabit. 
Their reputation is deservedly very high, for it is stated, by 
a Christian writer, that during the long period of four 


* Henderson, chap. xiv. 



328 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


hundred years, not one of them has had a criminal sentence 
passed upon him. It is a remarkable circumstance that 
they have retained the Tartar language, though they like¬ 
wise speak Russian and Polish. Every Sabbath and feast- 
day their teachers deliver moral discourses to them. In 
these sermons the Tartar tongue is used ; but their prayers 
are always made in Hebrew. Their manners are simple 
and obliging ; and they listen to the arguments of Christian 
missionaries with patience, never having recourse to the 
sophisms which the Talmudical Jews too often employ in 
controversy. 

There are about three hundred Karaites in Constantinople. 
Their synagogue is situated in a spot lower than any of the 
adjoining buildings; and the reason of this is said to be, 
that they wish to adhere literally to the words of the Psalm¬ 
ist, “ Out of the depths have I cried unto thee.” (Psalm 
cxxx. 1.) It may not be amiss, in this place, to furnish the 
reader with some account of the mode of public worship in 
use among them, an opportunity of observing which was 
presented, on a visit to their synagogue in the town of 
Lutsk, by one of the missionaries: 

“ This visit took place on the day of Pentecost, 1821. The 
synagogue, which is situated in the back part of the town, is 
a square wooden building, capable of containing about two 
hundred people. The entrance is from the east, and leads 
immediately into the outer court, which is appropriated to 
the use of females, and is divided from the rest of the syna¬ 
gogue by a thin partition, in which is a chink for hearing 
and observing what is transacted within. Directly in front 
of the entrance, and fixed to the western wall, is the Ark of 
the Covenant, containing the book of the law, the front of 
which is covered with a veil about eight feet in length by 
two and a half in breadth. Besides this veil, there are 
two smaller, one on each side, covering the prayer-books 
and other things requisite for the use of the officiating rabbi. 
Close to the ark is a small reading desk, somewhat in the 
shape of a music stand, where the Levite, or minister, assists 
at certain parts of the service ; and in front, near the mid- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


329 


die of the synagogue, stands a square table, painted blue, 
and adorned with two coverlets, one of woolen stuff of 
various colors, and the other of silk, richly embroidered and 
ornamented. On each side of this table stands a large can¬ 
dlestick, with seven branches, filled with wax candles ; and 
at different distances round the synagogue, stand a number 
of reading desks, each of which has a box, containing such 
books as are used in the time of service. 

“ Instead of the larger and smaller Talith, or white woolen 
garments, which the other Jews put on when they go into 
the synagogue, the Karaim use two long belts of woolen 
stuff, which are thrown over the shoulders and joined behind 
by a square piece of the same material, which is more or 
less ornamented, according to the circumstances of the 
owner. To the corners of this piece are attached the Tzit- 
zith , or long fringes or ornamental strings, which the wearer 
puts together at different parts of the service, especially 
before the reading of the law, and having kissed them, 
places them upon his eyes, as a sign that the divine com¬ 
mandments, of which these are a symbol, are the only 
medium of liffht to the mind. This custom is founded on 
Numbers xv. 38—40. The rabbi was dressed in a long robe 
of black silk, over which a large white Talith was thrown, 
which covered his head, and hung down nearly to the bot¬ 
tom of his robe. The prevailing dress of the people was a 
long blue top coat, lined with lambskin, and large lambskin 
caps, in the Tartar manner. 

“ The service of the day had commenced before I went, so 
that I found them already advanced to the reading of differ¬ 
ent parts of the Scriptures. I am not aware that it is known 
among Christians, but it is certainly deserving of notice, that 
the celebrated prophecy, quoted by the Apostle Peter, on the 
day of Pentecost, from the prophet Joel, chapter ii. 28—82, 
forms a part of the Pentecostal service among the Karaite 
Jews. Such, however, is the fact ; and may we not con¬ 
clude, from the pertinacity with which this ancient sect ad¬ 
here to their primitive customs, that the same coincidence 
took place in the apostolic age ? that, in the divine prescience, 
28* 


S30 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


those who selected the hophtorahs or sections from the 
prophets to be read in the synagogues, were directed to 
choose this passage from Joel, for the particular feast on 
which it was to receive its proper and remarkable accom¬ 
plishment ? and that the Apostle Peter, in quoting the lesson 
for the day, had recourse to one of the most powerful argu¬ 
ments which he could possibly have used, in order to con¬ 
vince a Jew of the divine nature of the transactions exhibited 
on that stupendous occasion ? 

“ Nearly two hours were spent in repeating prayers and 
reading passages out of the Psalms and the Prophets, in all 
of which the congregation took a greater share than the 
rabbi, who at certain intervals fell down on his knees, and 
bowed with his face to the ground. At length that part of 
the service commenced, which is preparatory to the mani¬ 
festation of the law. It consisted chiefly in prayers, which 
were repeated with uncommon earnestness, the congregation 
lifting up their hands and elevating their voice, while at 
regular intervals the words, ‘ Hear, O Israel, Jehovah, our 
Elohim is one Jehovah,’ were repeated with much solem¬ 
nity. The ark was then opened, and the law brought out 
with great reverence, and placed endwise upon the table of 
testimony. The upper end of the roll was ornamented with 
a crown, on the top of which was infixed a precious stone, 
and at different distances hung small silver tablets, the gifts 
of zealous members of the congregation. The numerous 
wrappings were no sooner taken off than the worshippers 
pressed forward to kiss them, after which a deputation of 
three little boys came in from the outer court, and receiving 
them into their extended arms, conveyed them out to the 
females, who also kissed them, and placed them to their 
eyes, in the same manner as the men had done. 

“ The law was now laid flat on the table, and the minister 
addressed the officiating priest in the following words : — 
‘Thou, therefore, my father, O Priest, the crown of my 
head, give glory to the law, and approach to read in the 
book of the law ; approach it with reverence . 5 On which 
the congregation repeated, in Hebrew, the divine promise to 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


331 


Phinehas : e And it shall be to him and to his seed after him, 
a covenant of everlasting priesthood; because he was 
zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children 
of Israel,’ (Nuin. xxv. 13,) and in Chaldee : ‘ And the chil¬ 
dren of Israel, the priests and the Lev'ites, and the rest of 
the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of the house 
of God with joy,’ (Ezra vi. 16.) 

“ Having repeated certain introductory sentences from the 
119tli Psalm, the rabbi began the lesson, ‘ In the third month 
of the Exodus of the children of Israel from the land of 
Egypt,’ etc. (Ex. xix. 1.) When he had finished this por¬ 
tion, he quoted the words, ‘ Blessed be Jehovah God, the 
God of Israel,’ etc., (Ps. lxxii. 18, 19,) and the minister, 
turning to a young man that was standing by, said, ‘ And 
thou, my brother, O Levite, give glory to the law, and ap¬ 
proach to read in the book of the law ; approach it with 
reverence.’ To which the congregation gave in response : 
e And to Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be 
with the Holy One, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and 
with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah.’ 
The Levite then came forward, and repeated several pas¬ 
sages from the Psalms, Job, and the book of Proverbs, and 
read several verses of the lesson, concluding with the words, 
‘ Blessed be Jehovah God, the God of Israel ; and blessed 
be his glorious name forever.’ 

“ The rest of the lesson was read by certain individuals 
from the congregation, who were in like manner summoned 
in turn by the minister, with the words, c And thou, my 
brother, O Israelite, give glory to the law, and approach to 
read in the book of the law ; approach with reverence.’ 

“ Having read to the commencement of Exodus xx, the 
whole congregation stood some time in silence, till the rabbi 
began to repeat, in Hebrew, the ten commandments, which 
the congregation immediately repeated after him in Tartar, 
each commandment apart. The concluding part of the 
chapter was then read ; and after a general ascription of 
glory to the Supreme Law-giver, during which the law was 
rolled up and placed in the Ark, the minister turned to one 


332 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


of the people, and addressed him thus : ‘ And thou, iny son 
O Dismisses give glory to the law, and approach to read 
the lesson ; approach with reverence.’ To which the con¬ 
gregation replied : £ Hear, my son, the instruction of thy 
father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Hear, O my 
son, and receive my sayings ; and the years of thy life shall 
be many.’ 

“ This dismisser, (so called because he finishes the lesson 
previous to the dismission of the congregation,) was a fine 
looking boy, about thirteen years of age, who read the 
prayer of Habbakuk in Hebrew, with a pathos and beauty 
which quite astonished me. The service ended with the 
repetition of a long metrical prayer, on which the congrega¬ 
tion, after a few silent aspirations, retired to the outer court, 
where they left their shoes, and went away with great 
decorum. 

“ Having addressed one of the Karaim, who stood next to 
me, in Turkish, his countenance which had formerly ex¬ 
pressed surprise at my looking over the service book, now 
brightened up, as if he had discovered a brother ; and after 
exchanging a few words, he introduced me to the rabbi, w ho 
kindly invited me to visit him at his house in the afternoon. 
1 accordingly went at the time appointed, and found his 
room filled with Karaites of both sexes, who had assembled 
to listen to our conversation. He gave me a hearty ‘ come 
in peace ’ and without reserve entered into an explanation 
of the peculiar dogmas of their faith. Instead of manifest¬ 
ing that disquietude, which generally seizes the mind of a 
Rabbinist, the moment the subject of the Messiah is intro¬ 
duced, my host discovered no alarm, but assured me that he 
is the object of their daily expectation. Such passages, as I 
quoted from the Old Testament, he explained much in the 
same way, as the more ancient of the Jewish Rabbis, and 
appeared to have little or no knowledge of the numerous 
subterfuges, to which the modern Talmudists have recourse 
in their controversy with Christians. On my referring to 
the Hebrew New Testament, a copy of which I intended to 
present to him, he rose and produced one from his library, 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


S38 


which bore evident marks of having been read, and which 
he handed to the people to read without any reluctance. 
cc They had read,” he said, the accounts it contained re¬ 
specting Jesus of Nazareth ; but they were not convinced, 
that he was the Messiah, promised to the fathers.” 

It was peculiarly interesting to behold a company of the 
seed of Abraham, listening with deep attention to the discus¬ 
sion of that important subject which their law typified, their 
prophets predicted, their poets sang, and all the ancient 
worthies of their nation realized by a believing anticipation ; 
and as I left them my prayers ascended on their behalf, that 
as on the blessed day, the effusion of the Holy Spirit effected 
the conversion of 3000 souls, for a waive offering of the first 
fruits to the Lord, so the general ingathering might speedily 
commence, and all Israel be saved with an everlasting salva¬ 
tion. 

The following account is given in a letter from the Rev. 
Andrew A. Bonar, who visited them in 1839, and says :— 
“We had an excellent opportunity of hearing a discourse, 
the passage that morning was in Deuteronomy, xxi. 10. 
The rabbi made two boys who were sitting before him read 
the words aloud, and then began his observations. The sub- 
tance of the sermon was, that the direction given, verse 
2th, to c shave the head and pare the nails, 5 was intended 
o show that no one ought to marry on the ground that the 
person was beautiful ; and that, if any do so, then verse 
15th shows that ungodly mothers will rear up ungodly 
children ; and then verse 18th may remind us, that it is no 
Avonder that such a man has trouble with his children : 
therefore, said he, in the way of application, c keep the 
heart with all diligence, 5 and pointed out the responsibilities 
of parents and children. When his remarks were ended, 
they repeated a short prayer, and broke up. The rabbi 
invited us to his house. He told us that the Karaites have 
not anv hatred towards Christians; and suffer far more 
virulent opposition from the other Jews than from any 
besides. 

Some years ago, the following affecting service was in 


S34 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


use among the Karaites at Jerusalem. It is taken from Dr. 
Wolff’s Journal. The rabbi and the people speak alter¬ 
nately :— 

Rabbi. —On account of the palace which is laid waste : 

People. —We sit lonely and weep. 

R .—On account of the temple which is destroyed ; 

P .—We sit lonely and weep. 

R .—On account of her walls which are pulled down ; 

P .—We sit lonely and weep. 

R .—On account of our majesty which is gone ; 

P. —We sit lonely and weep. 

R. —On account of our great men who have been cast 
down ; 

P.—We sit lonely and weep. 

R. —On account of our precious stones which are burned ; 

P. —We sit lonely and weep. 

R. —On account of the priests who have stumbled ; 

P.—We sit lonely and weep. 

R .—On account of our kings who have despised Him ; 

P.—We sit lonely and weep. 

R. —We beseech thee to have mercy upon Zion ; 

P.—Gather the children of Jerusalem. 

R. —Make haste, O Redeemer of Zion ; 

P.—Speak to the heart of Jerusalem. 

R. —May beauty and majesty surround Zion; 

P.—And turn with mercy to Jerusalem. 

R. —Remember the shame of Zion ; 

P.—Remember again the ruins of Jerusalem. 

R. —May the royal government shine over Zion ; 

P.—Comfort those who mourn at Jerusalem. 

R .—May joy and gladness be found upon Zion ; 

P.—A branch shall come forth at Jerusalem. 

When Dr. Wolff visited the Karaites at Jerusalem in 
1829, he found them reduced in number to an old man, 
some boys, and five women, whose husbands had fled 
from the persecution of the Turks to their brethren in 
the Crimea. All these persons lived in one house ; and 
their synagogue was under the same roof. They showed 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


335 


the missionary an ancient manuscript copy of the Hebrew 
Bible. 

There are about twenty similar families resident at Hit, 
a place on the banks of the Euphrates, about two days’ 
journey from Bagdad. They are all silversmiths, working 
trinkets and ornaments for the Arabs. This settlement is of 
ancient date. 

We return to the present state of the main body of the 
Jews. They are still excluded from Spain by the decree of 
Ferdinand and Isabella; but it is said that many of the 
descendants of the “new Christians” still practise Hebrew 
rites in secret. There are about two thousand Israelites 
resident at Gibraltar, under British protection, many of 
whose children attend Christian schools. The Jews were 
allowed to re-enter Portugal by an edict of John VI., who, 
in this manner, rewarded them for introducing large cargoes 
of corn into the country during a period of scarcity. 

In Sweden the Jews reside almost exclusively in four 
cities, namely, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Norrkoping, and 
Carlskrona. Their number is estimated at nearly 1,700 
individuals. No Jew is allowed to live in Norway. An 
instance has recently occurred in which this strange statute 
has been enforced. 

Two strangers were accused in Christiania in September 
last, of having by legerdemain relieved some people of their 
money. An investigation before the authorities, however, 
resulted in their acquittal. At the same time, it was sus¬ 
pected that one of them was a Jew, and both were therefore 
again taken into custody on this charge. When questioned, 
both professed themselves Jews, alleging their ignorance of 
the law which forbids Jews to come to that country. One 
of them, who was a chemist, proved to be a Portuguese 
Jew, and was set free again, as an ancient law exempts 
Jews of his class from requiring special permission for com¬ 
ing on business to Norway. His companion, however, an 
optician, being a Danish Jew, was fined, according to law, 
the sum of eight hundred dollars, and as he refused to ap¬ 
peal, and the king can only remit sentences of the supreme 


836 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


court, the law was loft to take its course. As he could not 
pay the fine, he had to suffer thirty days 5 imprisonment, and 
to live on bread and water. 

In the Danish states there are about fifteen thousand 
Jews, who are scattered throughout the kingdom. The 
largest congregations are to be found in Copenhagen and 
Altona ; the former consists of four thousand, and the latter 
two thousand six hundred individuals. 

The principal Jewish communities in the Papal States are 
to be found at Rome, Ancona, and Ferara ; their total num¬ 
ber scarcely exceeds ten thousand individuals. The Jews 
possess here some, at least, of the rights of citizens, granted 
to them under certain conditions by a few popes, and con¬ 
firmed by their successors with the form, “ Confirmabus, 
sed non approbamus.”—(We confirm, but do not approve.) 
The Jews received great benefits from the pious Pope Pius 
VII., who reigned from 1816 to 1825, and made many con¬ 
cessions to them. He allowed them to remain in the same 
condition as under Napoleon ; and the Jews appeared 
almost to be put on an equal footing with other citizens. 

But on the accession of Leo XII. to the Papal chair, old, 
long-forgotten bulls, denouncing curses and perdition on the 
Jews, were again revived. They are prohibited to acquire 
any landed property ; they are again shut up in the Ghetto, 
and not allowed to leave it after sunset. It being well 
known that the Jews are not allowed to touch any fire on the 
Sabbath-day, Christian servants were forbidden to go into 
the Ghetto from Friday evening to Saturday evening ; and 
every Jew, moreover, in whose house such a servant was 
found within the above-mentioned period, was fined three 
hundred seudi. It was not sufficient for a Jew to obtain a 
passport of the police, but the Holy Inquisition had to be in¬ 
formed of the journey, and give permission for it. No Israelite 
was permitted to carry on his trade or business out of the 
precincts of the Ghetto, nor could he rise to rank or consid¬ 
eration among his fellow-citizens ; he was not thought good 
enough even to become a soldier. At the celebration of the 
great festivals in the Christian Church, the Jews are shut up 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


337 


in the Ghetto during the whole time of their duration. In 
addition to this, it was made a law under Leo XII., that 
every Saturday a certain number of Jews were to attend a 
Christian church, for the purpose of hearing the conversion- 
sermon of a monk, full of the most acrimonious aspersions 
on their religion. If the prescribed number of attendants at 
this sermon be not complete, the Jewish community are 
compelled to pay for every one who is wanting thirty bajochi 
to the Inquisition. 

If a servant or a Christian nurse should declare that she 
had baptized an Israelitish infant with her own hand, the 
Inquisition removed it without mercy from its parents, and 
gave it to the Church, no reclamation being in any case 
allowed. An inventory of the fortune of the parents was 
made, we are told, in order to secure to the infant its patri¬ 
mony. 

One of these most barbarous transactions occurred recently 
in Rome. A young Jewess, of about eighteen, was taken 
away by soldiers at midnight from the house of her step¬ 
father, the husband of her mother, who was then in the 
house ; and the pretext was, that an Italian nurse, a Roman 
Catholic, employed in the family, had secretly baptized the 
girl when an infant, and that therefore she was no longer to 
be considered a Jewess, but must be placed under Christian 
guardians. She was accordingly forced into a convent, 
from whence she came out a convert ; but converted through 
means, which, by her own narrative, lately published, are 
quite dreadful. She was made the prey of delusions prac¬ 
tised upon her by night, false visions, and all the abominable 
contrivances of the worst days of Popery. She was, how¬ 
ever, a rich prize, though not a very honorable or legitimate 
one ; for she was heiress to a considerable fortune, which 
was to pass into the hands of one of her own religion, to 
whom she had been betrothed. This fortune, however, was 
exacted from her step-father, together with as much more, as 
what she might be entitled to upon the death of her mother ; 
and the Papal Government very generously proposed, on 
their part, to find for her a husband of the Christian per- 
29 


S38 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


suasion. “Ex uno disce omnes.” This happened about 
three months ago ; and I am ashamed, I blush for the Chris¬ 
tian name. Could I go and speak to a Jew under such 
degrading circumstances ? 

Many persons think that the Jews have no longer any 
reason to complain of the treatment they receive at the 
hands of European nations. We have here, as in many 
other instances, painful proof to the contrary : — 

The king of Sardinia has ordered the expulsion of all the 
Jews from the town of Savona within three days, and has 
commanded their assembling in one of the filthiest parts of 
Genoa. 

Hitherto nothing has been altered in the above regulations. 
If in the present day they are not enforced in all their rigor, 
it is owing to the mild and humane character of Gregory 
XVI., who was made pope in the year 1831. 

There are, therefore, but few rich Jews in the states of 
the church, and hardly any traces of the arts and sciences 
are to be found among them. 

There are about three thousand Jewish souls in the duchy 
of Modena. They form seven communities, viz.: — At 
Modena, Reggio, Finale, Corregio, Carpi, Norellara, and 
Scandiano ; only the two first-mentioned are numerous, 
there being about twelve hundred Jews in Modena, and 
eight hundred in Reggio. The Jews of the Duchy are 
wealthy, and possess also estates ; for, although here like¬ 
wise laws exist which forbid the acquisition of landed prop¬ 
erty, they are not enforced at present. They are not allowed 
to study any science but medicine—in the practice of this 
as well as of handicraft trades, they are very much circum¬ 
scribed by restrictions ; here also they are, for the most part, 
confined to their Ghettos. 

Modena has nine synagogues, and a good Jewish school. 
Reggio has five synagogues. The small community at 
Finale, consisting of about two hundred souls, boasts of 
having produced the celebrated General Ventura. Cor¬ 
regio, where Jesi, the great master of engravery, was born, 
flourishes by its commerce. Carpi, with three hundred 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


339 


Jews ; Norellara, with two hundred ; and Scandiano, with 
one hundred and fifty, are very much in the same condition, 
and do not present any characteristic distinction. 

According to the statistical accounts for the year 1839, 
about two thousand Jews live in the kingdom of Naples. 
They are, however, entirely disregarded by the states, live 
as strangers ; are overlooked and neglected ; they possess 
no civil privileges, not even the right to form themselves 
into congregations. 

There are now residing in Tuscany about fifteen thousand 
Jews; at Florence two thousand. Most of them live in 
their quarter, it Ghetto , others live in other parts of the 
town, as they are not restricted in this respect. At Florence 
we find still two distinct congregations : the “ Bene Italia,” 
and the “ Sfardim ; ” both have now handsome synagogues. 
Some of the Jews of Florence are very rich ; all of that 
place devote themselves to commerce. At present there is 
no learned Jew of any renown at Florence, and the formerly 
famous Jewish printing-office does no longer exist, in conse¬ 
quence of want of work. At Pisa only a small number of 
Jews are residing—about two hundred ; they have a syna¬ 
gogue, and a rabbi. The Jewish printing-office which was 
flourishing here not many years ago, has undergone the same 
fate as that of Florence. 

The Roman Catholic Church has put many stumbling- 
blocks in the way of the Jews, and it is a fact, that the Jews 
living in such countries consider Christianity a system of idol¬ 
atry ; and how can they otherwise? Even to this day idolatry 
is kept up in the Roman churches, in such superstitious and 
ridiculous a manner, that we should imagine a being endowed 
with reason and common sense would shrink back from it. 

Although on various occasions the descendants of Abraham 
have sought and found refuge in Mohammedan countries 
from the persecutions inflicted upon them by those who 
professed the Christian faith, the Turks, until very lately, 
looking upon them as a degraded race, showed their con¬ 
tempt by various species of insults. They delighted to ob¬ 
serve the antipathy which subsisted between the Greeks and 


340 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


the Jews, two races cf men whom the believer in the false 
prophet regarded with indiscriminate disdain. It almost 
seemed as if the Israelites in Turkey still cherished a ran¬ 
corous remembrance of the persecuting edicts of Justinian, 
and sought, in every way, to wreak their vengeance upon 
the descendants of those who, in former times, so relentless¬ 
ly oppressed them. When, not many years ago, the patri¬ 
arch of Constantinople was put to death in a most barbarous 
manner, the Jews eagerly assisted in his murder, and even 
in the insults inflicted on his body. 

Of late years, however, the two most powerful of the 
Mohammedan sovereigns, the late grand seignior and the 
pasha of Egypt, have endeavored to obliterate, as far as 
possible, the barbarous customs which, while they kept up 
the distinctive character of Islamism, excited the ridicule of 
Christian nations. In these schemes of amelioration the 
Israelites have largely participated. A late ordinance issued 
by the Turkish court enacts that Greeks, Catholics and 
Jews, are entitled to all benefits of the law, equally with 
Mohammedans. Upon this edict it has been thus remarked, 
“ The state of things in the East is such, that the Divan 
could not altogether overlook the great mass of Turkish 
Jews ; and by a Hatii Sheriff, intended to delineate the basis 
of the designed transformation and renovation of oriental 
policy, and embracing in general terms all relations, the 
Jewish congregations were not only openly recognized, but 
the life, property and honor of the Israelites were placed un¬ 
der public jurisdiction, their military services accepted, and 
an equal share of taxation imposed upon them. Although 
the component elements of the East may be more or less 
able to follow out and realize these principles, yet, by this 
general equalization, a path was opened for true civil ame¬ 
lioration, unaccompanied by those pains and fears which 
were caused by hoping for the same in Europe.”* One of 
the most remarkable communities at present existing among 


* “ Jewish Intelligence/’ quoted in Church of England Quarterly Re¬ 
view for July, 1840. 





HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


341 


the Hebrews, is a body of several thousand followers of 
Sabbatai Scvi at Saloniea, the ancient Thessalonica, who, 
however, outwardly conform to Mohammedanism, though 
they never intermarry with the professors of that religion. 
They are called Domne, i. e. turned by the Turks, and 
Mamenen , i. e. polluted, or heretics, by the Jews. 

The recent conquests of Mehemet Ali in Syria have ex¬ 
cited considerable anxiety about the manner in which he may 
choose to treat the Jewish inhabitants in his new dominions. 
When Dr. Duff was at Alexandria, on his way to India, in 
December, 1339, a variety of rumors upon this subject were 
afloat. Exceedingly desirous to ascertain the real state of 
the case, that zealous missionary obtained, through the kind¬ 
ness of her majesty’s consul-general, Colonel Campbell, an 
interview with the pasha, upon whom he waited in company 
with the Rev. Mr. Grimshaw, an Episcopal clergyman resi¬ 
dent at Alexandria. In answer to various questions put to 
him through the medium of an interpreter, the ruler of 
Egypt said, that he would give every facility to those Jews 
who might be solicitous to return to the Holy Land ; that 
he would treat them exactly as Mohammedan subjects ; and 
that he would allow them, if they chose, to rent or purchase 
land, so as to become cultivators or proprietors of the soil. 
Dr. Duff, however, adds, ‘‘being himself, in a peculiar 
sense, the father and the child of expediency, it is impossible 
to say how far his verbal decisions are to be relied on. The 
expediency of to-day may prove the inexpediency of to¬ 
morrow.” 

Since this interview, there has been a most wicked and 
horrible persecution of the Jews at Damascus, which has 
been occasioned by the prevalence among the lower classes 
there, of the absurd belief, that the Jews require Gentile 
blood for the celebration of their passover. According to 
the statement of Mr. G. W. Pieritz, missionary of the 
London Society to the Jews at Damascus, the facts are the 
following : — 

“ Padre Tomaso was a monk of the Capuchin order, a 
native of Sardinia. He lived in Damascus since 1807, where 
29* 


342 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


he occasionally practised medicine. He used particularly to 
vaccinate children, both of the Jews and others, by which 
he amassed a tolerable sum of money. On account of his 
usefulness he was much regarded by the Jews of Damascus. 
He also had a servant Ibrahim, a native Christian ; but 
whom the Jews generally did not know, nor, in fact, that he 
had a servant at all. On the 5th of February, 1840, he left 
his convent, but did not return at night, nor make his 
appearance since. The 6th of February the French consul 
examined his cell, where every thing was found in proper 
order, and, amongst others, a sum of money, now said to 
have been ten thousand piastres, though another report says 
that one hundred and fifty thousand piastres were found, and 
that some persons pocketed the remaining one hundred and 
forty thousand piastres. The servant, too, I should mention, 
was missing. February 7th (being a Friday) notice was 
given to H. E. Schereef Pasha, who immediately instituted 
inquiry, at the demand of the French consul, as all the Latin 
priests enjoy French protection here. The inquiry instituted 
was of a double nature—first, to ascertain where Padre 
Tomaso was seen last; and, secondly, certain redoubtable 
shiekhs, (a species of Mohammedan impostors, pretending 
to the power of divination,) were called in to discover what 
had become of him by their preternatural powers. They 
declared that Tomaso and his servant were murdered by the 
Jews in their own quarter. And this was confirmed by the 
fact that Tomaso actually was in the Jewish quarter on the 
day of his disappearance, viz., at about eleven o’clock in the 
forenoon he was seen sticking up a notice of an auction, that 
was some time after to take place, at the door of a Jewish 
barber’s shop. 1 heard some persons say that he was seen 
in the Jewish quarter a second time, about three o’clock in 
the afternoon of the same day ; but this does not seem to be 
true. This, however, does not signify. It was now taken 
for granted that the Jews murdered Padre Tomaso and his 
servant, in order to secure their blood for the feast of un¬ 
leavened bread, which was near at hand. Farach Katash, 
an elderly Jew, living in the Christian street, then came for- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


343 


ward and testified that he saw Tomaso so late as five o’clock 
in the evening of February 5th, in his (Christian) street; 
but for this he was put in prison. Saturday, February 8th, 
a certain Mohammedan of notoriously bad character, called 
Mohammed Telli, who was for some time in prison for debt, 
having heard of what was going on, said he knew all the 
bad characters amongst the Jews, and, if he were at liberty, 
he would soon discover the murderers. The French consul, 
hearing this, immediately procured his liberation, it is said, 
by paying his debt for him. At the suggestions of this man, 
who became afterwards so useful in the service of the French 
consulate, as well as of other like characters, who, volunta¬ 
rily, or paid, acted as spies from the commencement, and on 
the allegations of the above-mentioned sheikhs, many arrests 
were made, all among the Jews. 

“Amongst the Jews only, investigations, searches, and 
imprisonments were incessantly carried on. They also dis¬ 
interred several dead persons on the Jewish burial-ground, 
lately buried, to see whether the missing persons might not 
be amongst them, or if the dead had any marks of violence 
about them, which they might have received in the attempt 
of murdering the monk or his servant ; for it must be 
observed, and for the future borne in mind, that the monk 
himself, although about sixty years old, w^as yet in full vigor, 
of a tall stature, and of a hot temper, while his servant was 
notoriously robust, and more than of ordinary strength, as 
those testify who knew him. The poor Jews were, how 
ever, at last fixed upon as their murderers, who had no 
marks of violence at all about them. Sunday, February 9th, 
Salum, the barber, was also arrested like others ; but, upon 
the entreaties of his w'ife, was the same day again set at 
liberty. This barber, a Jew, is about twenty years old, 
married about half a year, and supported himself partly by 
his trade, and partly by the alms occasionally given him by 
the more affluent Jews. He is very ignorant, and of rather 
low character. He is the same mentioned before, to whose 
shop door Padre Tomaso had fixed the notice of an auction 
on the day of his disappearance. 


344 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


<£ Shereef Pasha sends for the chief rabbi, Yacoob Antha- 
bi, and two other subordinate rabbis, Khakhams Sh’lomoh 
Arari and Khalphou Atia, and declares to them that if they 
do not discover the murderers within twenty-four hours, 
they should all three be beheaded, and sends them home 
again. They immediately repair to the synagogue, assemble 
together men, women, and children, and in the most solemn 
manner, blowing the horn,* etc., pronounce the severest 
excommunication they can against every Jew who should 
know any thing of the murder of the monk or his servant, 
no matter by whom committed, and not come forward to 
give evidence. Upon this a young man, a Jew, Yitskhach 
Yavoh, comes to the rabbis, and declares that on the fifth of 
February, going after his trade as usual, of selling tumbaco, 
he saw Padre Tomaso and his servant at a certain spot, 
about half an hour’s walk from the Jewish quarter, on the 
road to Palakhia, about half an hour before sun-set, and 
that he there had the following words with the servant of 
the monk. He said to him, ( You have not bought any tum¬ 
baco of me for some time ; buy some now.’ But the servant 
answered him, c I need none now, for I bought some to-day.’ 
(This evidence is in perfect accordance with that of the 
first-mentioned Farach Katash, who is now in prison.) 
Yitskhach Yavoh is now sent to the French consul, where 
he repeats what he deposed before the rabbis ; and the 
French consul sends him for trial to his excellency Schereef 
Pasha. His excellency becomes angry, and asks the unhap¬ 
py man, ‘ Who dares to give evidence in favor of the Jews? 
—Who bribed you to give this false evidence?’ The man 
vows that he says nothing but the truth ; and, therefore, is 
laid down and flogged ; and, insisting on the truth of his 
declaration, the flogging continues, till he gets upwards of 
five thousand lashes in succession. He is carried away life¬ 
less, recovers for a while in the prison to which he is trans¬ 
ported, but soon after dies! The Jews had great difficulty 


* By the horn is meant the ram’s horn, which the Jews use on new 
vear’s day and on the day of atonement. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


345 


in the ordinary purification of the dead which they under¬ 
took with him, previous to his burial, as the flesh fell en¬ 
tirely off from his bones! 

“ In the meanwhile the barber is going through various 
examinations and cross-examinations, but continues stead¬ 
fast in one declaration, viz.: — that he did not at all see the 
monk put up the paper on his door; but stepping out of his 
shop, and seeing it up, asked some bystanders what paper it 
was, and who fixed it there? They answered him, it was a 
notice of an auction, put up just now by Padre Tomaso, 
who went further on. In the course of these examinations, 
the barber named six poor Jews, who had been in his shop 
during the day of the disappearance of the monk. Four of 
these, being in town, were immediately arrested, and impris¬ 
oned in the seraglio, and some of them subsequently tor¬ 
tured. The remaining two were in the surrounding villages, 
in their usual avocation, hawking about their humble stock 
of ware. After a day or two they return to Damascus, and 
are arrested and brought before the French consul, who 
threatens them with immediate death if they did not confess. 
They, however, as well as the four, persist in their simple 
tale of innocence, and are some time after liberated. They 
are yet in Damascus to tell their own story. It is here to be 
observed, that these poor men, as well as the barber himself, 
and several others of the poorer Jews, who are now at lib¬ 
erty again, were continually pressed and persuaded, by the 
faithful servant of the French consulate, Mohammed Telli, 
to implicate others, especially the great, as the safest means 
of escaping those tortures with which he threatened them. 
He was heard to hold like language, even in open court, to 
poor Jews, during the occasional short intervals of their 
severest tortures. 

“ On Wednesday, February 12th, the third of the barber’s 
confinement at the French consul’s, notwithstanding all the 
threats, promises, and persuasions, and the evil suggestions 
of Mohammed Telli, to implicate the great, no clue having 
been obtained from the barber, he is, by the French Consul, 
given over to the pasha for torture. His excellency, after 


34G 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


having in vain repeated to him the promises of reward, and 
free pardon for any guilty part he might himself have taken 
in the murders, provided he betrayed his accomplices, which 
promises the French consul had often pressed upon the poor 
man, ordered him first to be beaten in a most cruel manner ; 
and this not availing, the brutal torture of a certain hellish 
machine is applied to him ; this instrument has two screws, 
which are forced into the head, so that the eyes are pressed 
out of the sockets. The poor barber suffered this till his 
chin became quite white, while a convulsive trembling set 
every limb of his body in tremulous motion. He abides 
however in the assertion of entire ignorance as to the fate 
of the monk and his servant. He is now carried into the 
common prison, that abominable servant of cruelty, Mo¬ 
hammed Telli, becoming his nurse, and, as was heard 
by some of the then prisoners who are now free, upbraid¬ 
ing him for his folly in not implicating the great. Friday, 
Feb. 14, the poor man is again brought forth, and under 
cruel threats commanded to confess. He cries and trembles 
in his already lacerated body, avowing his innocence as 
before, but in vain ; he is the second time lain under the 
stick, (rather curbage, as it is called,) and the flogging con¬ 
tinues for some time, till his excruciating pains not affording 
him relief by a timely death, as fared Yitskhach Yavoh, at 
last reduced him to say something for his release. He now 
declares that on Wednesday evening, Feb. 5, he saw the 
monk in company with several of the wealthiest and most 
respectable Jews, in the Jewish street, near the house of 
David, (in Arabic, Dah-ood) Arari ; but that he did not 
know whence they came, or whither they went. The fol¬ 
lowing are the men he mentions :—Yoseph Arari, an aged 
man eighty years of age ; and three brothers, nephews of the 
same—Aaron, aged fifty-five ; Yitskhach, aged fifty ; and 
David Arari, about forty ; Yoseph Leniado, aged fifty ; 
Moshey Salonickly, aged fifty ; and Moshey Abulafia, aged 
forty. The first five very weak and sickly persons ; the two 
last middling ; all of them merchants of great consideration 

and wealth. They all deny the barber’s statement, and are 

% 

prepared for torture. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


347 


“ But as fears were entertained that they could not stand 
any tortures on account of their constitutional weakness, a 
more lenient measure was resorted to. They were lodged 
each of them in a separate cell, soldiers appointed to stand 
by them, and not allow them any other posture but standing 
upon their legs, without sleep, etc., for thirty-six hours. 
So says one of my documents, while another, furnished ine 
by a different channel, which agrees with the former in 
every leading particular, three days and three nights. I did 
not think it necessary to ask for the explanation of this 
apparent contradiction, as I did with reference to other 
details; but as it will be seen that this inhuman treatment 
was repeated by and by, it is possible that the first trial was 
three days and three nights, and the second thirty-six hours. 
For this conjecture I have ample ground. 

“ After the last-mentioned examination of the seven 
merchants, the barber is brought forth again, has entire 
impunity promised him for any guilt of his own, on the con¬ 
dition of a satisfactory confession, while Mohammed Telli 
continues to force his advice upon him. The barber first 
insists on his last deposition, but when he sees preparations 
making for his torture he offers to confess. He now 
declares, that on the evening of February 5th, the servant of 
David Arari came to him, ordering him to go to his master’s 
house, in order to bleed him (D. Arari.) When he came 
there he saw seven merchants, mentioned before, sitting 
round, and Father Tomaso lying bound in a corner. The 
seven then offered him twelve hundred piastres, if he 
would kill the monk. He refused, and went away. He 
was hardly gone, he afterwards added, when he was called 
back, and they promised him two hundred piastres to keep 
secret what he had seen. He went home, without yet 
knowing what became of the unhappy monk. 

“After this deposition, the barber is led back to his cell, 
and the seven merchants again brought forth for exami¬ 
nation, but singly. They all alike declare their innocence, 
and now it is resolved to subject them to torture. David 
Arari is the first, but as he received the twentieth stroke, he 


348 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


begins to foam at his mouth, and falls into all the dreadful 
convulsions of a patient in what is called “ the falling sick¬ 
ness.” They are then obliged to desist, nor was it expected 
that the rest would bear the brutal experiment better. 
Upon this the French consul, expressing his doubts, feigned 
or real, whether the first torture had been faithfully adminis¬ 
tered, whether the soldiers might not have been seduced to 
allow his victims to take rest, sleep, etc., or else, it was con¬ 
cluded, they would have confessed,—demanded a repetition 
of the same, and the seven merchants are again put on their 
legs, which would now scarcely support them, himself, by 
his underlings, and, it is said, sometimes personally, inspect¬ 
ing the due performance of their penance. 

“The second torturous confinement took place February 
17th, and they arrest the same day sixty-three young chil¬ 
dren from four to eight years of age, and put them in prison. 
These remain in prison twenty-eight days, being almost 
daily questioned and examined with threats and promises— 
asked whether they did not see their fathers, etc., kill Padre 
Tomaso, etc. The poor innocent children know of no guilt, 
and tell their little harmless tales. One of the dear little 
ones, however, is persuaded to answer a seductive question 
in the affirmative. He said his father killed the monk, and 
then threw him into a certain pit in the courty ard of his 
schoolmaster. 

“ The last tortures that took place were on the body of 
Rabbi Yacob Anthabi, who was requested to give the pasha 
a declaration in writing that the Jews require human blood. 
But the old man would rather die than give such a false 
declaration. This last case of torture took place after I had 
left Damascus. I was informed of it by letter, while at 
Beyrout. 

“ The tortures employed, were—first, flogging ; secondly, 
soaking persons in large tanks of water in their clothes ; 
thirdly, the head machine, by which the eyes are pressed 
out of their sockets ; fourthly, tying up certain parts of the 
body, and ordering soldiers to twist them in such a manner 
that the poor sufferers grew almost mad from pain ; fifthly, 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


349 


standing upright for three days without being allowed any 
other posture, nor even to lean against the wall, and when 
they would fall down, being aroused up by the bystanding 
sentinels, with their bayonets ; sixthly, being dragged about 
in a large court, by their ears, till the blood gushed out ; sev¬ 
enthly, having thorns driven in between the nails and the 
flesh of their fingers and toes ; eighthly, having set fire to 
their beards till their faces are singed ; ninthly, having can¬ 
dles held under their noses so that the flame arises up into 
their nostrils. This last brutality was one night carried on 
with such pitiless perseverance that the wax dropped upon 
the poor sufferer’s breasts. It was in the night, and the 
pasha being present could no longer endure the sight. He 
then went away, but put no stop to it.” Such is Romanism 
in the nineteenth century ! 

These cruel and disgraceful proceedings did not take place 
without attracting the attention of most of the governments 
of Europe, and enlisting the sympathies both of Jews and 
Christians, in behalf of their suffering brethren. Early in 
June, 1840, Sir R. Peel called the attention of the British 
Parliament to this subject, and requested some interference 
on the part of the government. Viscount Palmerston 
assured him that this subject had, some time previous , come 
under consideration of Her Majesty’s government, who had 
lost no time in taking steps of the nature of those which Sir 
R. Peel had proposed. 

As early as the 27th of March, the elders of the Jewish 
congregation at Constantinople had despatched a letter to 
Messrs. Rothschild of London, in which they present a 
most affecting picture of the sufferings of their brethren at 
Rhodes and Damascus, state their own incapacity to afford 
any relief, owing to their being subject to a government not 
on frieiTdly terms with the pasha of Egypt, and therefore 
entreat the interference of these benevolent and wealthy 
individuals, in behalf of their brethren in the East. 

The subject instantly.enlisted the feelings of the whole 
Jewish community in London. A circular was addressed to 
the heads of all the Jewish families in that city, and, on 
30 


350 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


June 23, a meeting took place at the great synagogue in 
Duke’s-place, at which were present, Baron Rothschild, his 
brother, and all the wealthy Jews in the metropolis. At 
this meeting, in which Sir Moses Montefiore presided, res¬ 
olutions were passed to this effect :— 

“That the meeting acknowledged, with the deepest grati¬ 
tude, the prompt interference of the British government 
in behalf of the Jews of the East; that they deem it im¬ 
portant that some gentleman of rank and talent, delegated 
by the Jews of London, do accompany Monsieur Cremieux, 
the delegate from the Jews of Paris, to co-operate with him ; 
that Sir Moses Montefiore, from his high moral character, 
influence and zeal, is particularly fitted to be the repre¬ 
sentative of the British Jews for such purpose, at the 
court of the pasha of Egypt. After whose appointment 
and acceptance, it was further resolved, that the meeting, 
impressed with the generosity, zeal and self-devotedness of 
Sir Moses Montefiore, in accepting their appointment, do 
tender him their grateful thanks in token of their admiration 
of his conduct.” 

The meeting was addressed by Messrs. Van Ovan, Salo¬ 
mons, Raphael, Cohen and Montefiore. In the course of 
their eloquent remarks, the conduct of the French govern¬ 
ment was commented on with just severity. The wicked¬ 
ness of the accusation, and the cruelty of the trial were 
afterwards set in their true light. It was then insisted on, 
that in this proceeding at Damascus, was staked the moral 
character, not only of a few individuals in an eastern city, 
but of the whole community of Jews throughout the world. 
That the whole body were accused of being accessary to 
the crime of murder and human sacrifices ; that as they 
were held up to the civilized world as assassins, and guilty 
of worse than pagan abominations, it was their duty to call 
on their rabbins throughout Europe, to give in their declara¬ 
tions, on oath, disowning these horrid practices. The sub¬ 
scriptions in behalf of their brethren, made at this meeting, 
amounted to about thirty-five thousand dollars. 

Though the calumny now circulated against the Jews 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


351 


had been repeatedly brought forward from interested motives 
in former times, and been as often refuted ; though it could 
have obtained credence amongst none but the most ignorant; 
still the chief rabbi of the communities of the Jews in 
Britain, and the presiding rabbi of the Bevis Marks con¬ 
gregation, thought it their duty, each to address a letter to 
Sir Moses Montefiore, in which they disown all knowledge 
of such a rite as that laid to the charge of the Jews, and 
also show the impossibility that such a ceremony should 
ever have had existence among them. Rev. S. Hirschell 
remarked in his letter, that he had been the spiritual guide 
to the great Jewish communities in Britain for forty years, 
and that he had previously filled a similar office in Germany ; 
that for more than ten generations, his ancestors had held 
the highest clerical dignities amongst the Jews ; that their 
instructions had been transmitted from father to son, till 
they had reached him ; so that if any one, from the office he 
has held, the instructions he has received, and the ancestors 
from whom he has descended, might be supposed to be 
thoroughly acquainted with the laws, precepts, customs, 
rites, ceremonies and observances of the Jews, he might 
with truth claim to be that man. He then takes the same 
awfully solemn oath, which rabbi Manasseh ben Israel took 
on the same accusation more than two hundred years ago, 
invoking all the curses mentioned in Leviticus and Deute¬ 
ronomy to come upon him, if he ever knew the existence of 
such a horrid rite amongst the Jews. Sir Moses Monte¬ 
fiore received a similar protestation of ignorance as to the 
existence of any such rite, from David Meldola, presiding 
rabbi of the Bevis Marks congregation in London, a gentle¬ 
man whose descent from a long line of ancestors who had 
held high ecclesiastical offices amongst his nation, made 
it impossible that he should be ignorant of any rite that 
should have had importance or even existence amongst the 
Jews. 

A protest to the same effect was signed by large num¬ 
bers of those in England, who had been converted from 
Judaism to Christianity. They solemnly declare, that they 


352 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


never knew, or directly or indirectly beard, of such a cus¬ 
tom as the using of Christian blood in any ceremony ; that 
they believe this charge, so often brought against them 
fomerly, and now lately revived, to be a foul and satanic 
falsehood. 

But the interest in behalf of the unhappy Jews of Da¬ 
mascus was not confined to those of their own faith. A 
meeting of the merchants, bankers, etc., in London, took 
place early in July, in the Egyptian hall, Mansion-house, 
which was crowded to excess, for the purpose of taking 
the subject into consideration, and with a view of adopting 
such resolutions as should express the feelings of deep sym¬ 
pathy, which were entertained by the citizens of London, in 
the sufferings of the persecuted Jews. 

Resolutions were adopted, in which the meeting express 
their deep sympathy for the sufferers, and their earnest 
hope, that an immediate and impartial trial will take place, 
so as to disprove, in the face of the whole world, the 
atrocious calumnies invented and propagated by their perse¬ 
cutors, for the infliction of cruelties almost unknown in the 
previous history of mankind : That they deem it right pub¬ 
licly to express their abhorrence of the use which has been 
made of torture for the purpose of extorting confessions 
from the unhappy persons accused, and also their hope, 
that this relic of a barbarous age will be from henceforth 
abolished : They also declare, that it is their earnest hope 
and prayer, that through the dissemination of sound prin¬ 
ciples in every country, all men may be considered as 
alike entitled to protection and the benefit of just laws im¬ 
partially administered. After testifying their gratification 
that many persons of distinguished rank and station, as well 
as the government of the country, had testified their willing¬ 
ness to uphold the cause of suffering Immunity, they direct 
that a copy of their resolutions be transmitted to Her 
Majesty’s government, and to the representatives of the 
different powers resident at the English court, with a re¬ 
quest, that they will transmit them to their respective gov 
ernments. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


353 


Another of these wicked conspiracies was brought against 
the Jews. The “Archives Israelites” for December, gives 
an account of recent occurrences in the Turkish dominions, 
which show that the Jews are still exposed to imminent 
danger, from the bigotry and violence of their infatuated 
neighbors. The unjust and cruel suspicions which led to 
the barbarous scenes in Damascus, are entertained by many, 
who are too ignorant and superstitious to perceive the injus¬ 
tice and folly of which they are guilty. 

“ This seems to be particularly the case as regards the 
population on the Island Marmora, which is situated about 
eight leagues from Constantinople, in the sea of the same 
name. The majority of inhabitants are Greeks. Twenty- 
five Israelites have settled there, who are engaged in the 
wine trade. Four or five of them have acquired a consider- 
ble fortune, and this is probably the reason why they have 
become an object of envy to their Greek neighbors, who 
seek their revenge by incessantly calumniating their religion 
in the most absurd and superstitious manner. 

“ It appears that one day a Greek laundress, on her return 
home from bleaching, missed her son, aged two years and a 
half, whom she had taken out with her. Every search was 
made in vain, until, after seven days, the body was found in 
the forest, amidst thorns and rubbish, mutilated by beasts of 
prey. The Greeks immediately spread the report that the 
child had been murdered by the Jews, for the purpose of 
using the blood for their religious observances. A surgeon 
certified the fact of the child having been murdered ; and 
the corpse, when brought before the judge, was found to be 
circumcised, apparently with the view to fixing the charge 
upon the Jews. The caadi refused to entertain the charge, 
and referred the complaints to Constantinople. 

“ The Jews have appealed to Sir Stratford Canning, and 
requested his interposition, to ensure justice being done to 
them. But ever since this charge was brought forward, the 
Jews have been exposed to the most cruel persecution. 
Their houses are attacked, and they cannot show themselves 
in the streets without running the risk of being stoned, 
30* 


354 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


They are forced to conceal themselves, and a stop is put to 
their trade. The adjoining islands also have raised the same 
cry among the Jews ; and woe to the Israelite who falls into 
their hands! Several instances have occurred, in which 
individuals of that nation but narrowly escaped falling vic¬ 
tims to the fanaticism of the enraged populace.” 

Yet another at Cairo, similar to that brought four years 
back against the Jews of Damascus, has just been brought 
to a termination here. Last Easter, a young Christian named 
Michel Bahum, suddenly disappeared : he was last seen 
entering the quarters of the Jews, and it was in consequence 
rumored that he had been assassinated, in order that his 
blood might be spread over the unleavened bread of the 
Hebrews. A complaint was lodged in form before Mehemet 
Ali, by the young man’s mother. The Grand Rabbi, on 
hearing of this, proceeded, with the principal Jewish inhab¬ 
itants, to his Highness, and in the name of the whole Jewish 
population besought him to take measures to put a stop to 
such an atrocious and ridiculous calumny. The deputation 
was very kindly received, and the Pasha promised to pay 
attention to the matter. He gave orders to the governor of 
Cairo to have the young man sought for and found ; and the 
Jews on their part instituted an incessant search to discover 
him. For some time all their efforts were useless, until one 
day a Greek came forward, and offered for a considerable 
reward to produce the man. His proposition was agreed to, 
and on August 13th, four months after his disappearance, 
Michel Bahum was brought by the Greek to the Grand 
Rabbi. It appeared that he had quitted the office where he 
was employed, had sold in the Jews’ quarter some objects 
belonging to him, and then fled into Upper Egypt. He had 
there remained concealed in the convent of St. Anthony. 
The Greek by some means discovered this, and had already 
prevailed on him to quit the convent, and accompany him. 
During the time the enquiries were going on, it is said Me¬ 
hemet Ali would not permit any proceedings to be instituted 
against the Jews, and would not have permitted them even 
if the man had not been found. The Jews in Cairo are 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


855 


loud in praising his good judgment in not paying attention 
to the horrid prejudices raised against the Jews in the East 
of late years. The French consul, M. Beneditti ; the Tus¬ 
can consul, M. Champion ; and the consul-general of Aus¬ 
tria, M. de Laurin, took a lively interest in this affair, and 
have entitled themselves to the gratitude of the Jews. 

Of late years there has been a very remarkable confluence 
of the Jews towards Palestine. A very recent English 
traveller encountered many Jews on their road to Jerusalem, 
who invariably replied to his queries, that they were going 
thither “ to die in the land of their fathers.” For many 
years past this desire has prevailed among the Hebrews. In 
all parts of the earth this extraordinary people, whose name 
and sufferings are in every nation under heaven, think and 
feel as one man on the great issue of their restoration : the 
utmost east and the utmost west, the north and the south, 
both large and small congregations, those who have frequent 
intercourse with their brethren and those who have none, 
entertain alike the same hopes and fears. Dr. Wolff, 
(Journal, 1833,) heard these sentiments from their lips in 
the remotest country of Asia ; and Buchanan asserts, that 
whenever he went among the Jews of India he found me¬ 
morials of their expulsion from Judea, and their belief 
of a return thither. Though they have seen the temple 
twice, and the city six times, destroyed, their confidence 
is not abated, nor their faith gone. For eighteen hundred 
years the belief has sustained them,—without a king, a 
prophet, or a priest,—through insult, poverty, torture, and 
death ; and now in the nineteenth century, in the midst of 
march of intellect, what is better, in the far greater 
diffusion of the written Word of God, both among Jews 
and Christians, we hear a harmonious assent to the prayer 
that concludes every Hebrew festival, “The year that 
approaches, Oh bring us to Jerusalem!” This belief has 
not been forgotten, and is sustained by rabbinical tradition. 
Wherever scattered, they have always looked to it as a coun¬ 
try which, at some period or other, should be again restored 
to them. They have long considered it a very great privilege 


356 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


to close their days in Judea, and especially at Jerusalem ; 
and many, at the extremity of life, have gone to lay their 
hones among those of their ancestors. We have seen that 
the two illustrious Spanish rabbins, Aben Ezra and Mai- 
monides, although they died, the one at Rhodes and the 
other in Egypt, gave orders in their last moments that they 
should be buried within the borders of the Holy Land. Old 
and young, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, alike 
share in this fond longing for a final resting-place in Pales¬ 
tine. In every part of the world, the heart of the true 
Israelite beats high at the mention of his much-loved and 
revered “ Holy City ; ” and morning and evening he turns 
his face to it at the period of prayer. But ever since 1832, 
when Mehemet Ali took possession of Syria, there has been 
a remarkable flocking of the Jews to Palestine. The precise 
number of them at present in the Holy Land, is estimated 
to amount to about forty thousand. They reside chiefly at 
the four cities which they consider as holy, Jerusalem, 
Hebron, Tiberias, and Saphet. The last-mentioned was 
destroyed by an earthquake in January, 1837, before which 
time seven thousand Jews were resident there. It is again 
rising out of its ruins, and now contains about two thousand 
Israelite inhabitants. There is a Hebrew tradition that the 
Messiah will first appear in this place ; which is situated on 
the summit of one of the mountains in the neighborhood of 
the Sea of Galilee, and is supposed to be the very town 
pointed out by our Lord, when, during his sermon on the 
Mount, he said, “ a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid,” 
(Matt. v. 14.) In Jerusalem, which contains six synagogues, 
there are said to be about ten thousand Jews ; in Hebron, 
seven or eight hundred ; and in Tiberias, twelve hundred. 
For the last two years the influx of Jews has been somewhat 
diminished, owing to the ravages of the plague, the increased 
price of provisions, the embarrassed finances of the Hebrew 
community, and the oppression of their rabbis. 

The following animated description of the Jews at Jeru¬ 
salem, from Wilde’s Travels in Palestine, deserves notice, 
as the author states many important particulars concerning 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


S57 


the present state of a great number of that wonderful nation 
who are now living as strangers in the home of their fore¬ 
fathers. 

“ The Jews inhabit a particular portion of the southern 
part of the city, the Haret-el-Youd, between the foot of 
Zion and the enclosure of the mosque of Omar, and are not 
the least interesting of the objects presented to the traveller 
in the Holy City. 

“ This extraordinary people, the favored of the Lord, the 
descendants of the patriarchs and prophets, and the aristoc¬ 
racy of the earth, are to be seen in Jerusalem to greater 
advantage, and under an aspect, and in a character totally 
different from that which they present in any other place on 
the face of the globe. In other countries, the very name of 
Jew has associated with it cunning, deceit, usury, traffic, 
and often wealth. But here, in addition to the usual degra¬ 
dation and purchased suffering of a despised, stricken, out¬ 
cast race, they bend under extreme poverty, and wear the 
aspect of a weeping and a mourning people ; lamenting over 
their fallen greatness as a nation, and over the prostrate 
grandeur of their once proud city. Here the usurer is turned 
into the pilgrim, the merchant into the priest, and the inex¬ 
orable creditor into the weeping suppliant. Without wealth, 
without traffic, they are supported solely by the voluntary 
contributions of their brethren throughout the world. I think 
1 am warranted in stating, that the number of Jews now in 
Jerusalem is greater than at any other period in modern 
times. The population of any eastern city is with great 
difficulty accurately ascertained, owing to the total absence 
of statistical or municipal tables, as well as to the immense 
floating population, hundreds arriving at night, and passing 
out in the morning ; besides, here the number of pilgrims 
varies daily. The entire resident population of the city is 
about thirty-five thousand ; of which ten thousand are Jews, 
ten thousand Christians, ten thousand Mohammedans, and 
about five thousand foreigners, or partial residents, including 
the garrison. As a rough guess would but little approxi¬ 
mate to the truth, and as many contradictory accounts have 


358 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


been published of the number of Jews resident m Jerusa¬ 
lem, I have used every means of procuring correct informa¬ 
tion on this subject. The Latins and the Jewish rabbis 
themselves, whom 1 severally consulted, both agreed in stat¬ 
ing that the number is greater now than at any other period 
in latter times of which they have any record, and that at 
the lowest calculation it amounted to the number I have 
stated. The period is not very distant, when the Turkish 
law permitted no more than three hundred Jews to reside 
within the walls. 

“ A vast concourse of this people flocked to Jerusalem at 
the time that Syria was occupied by the Egyptians, and 
afterwards on the conquest of Algiers. Within these two 
or three years, however, the extreme scarcity of provisions 
has deterred others from going there, and the number has 
not been so great as heretofore. With all this accumulated 
misery, with all this insult and scorn heaped upon the Israel¬ 
ite here, more even than in any other country, why, it will 
be asked, does he not fly to other and happier lands? Why 
does he seek to rest under the shadow of Jerusalem’s walls? 
Independently of that natural love of country which exists 
among this people, two objects bring the Jew to Jerusalem 
—to study the Scriptures and the Talmud,—and then to die, 
and have his bones laid wdth his forefathers in the valley of 
Jehoshaphat, even as the bones of the patriarchs were car¬ 
ried up out of Egypt. No matter what the station or the 
rank,—no matter what, or how far distant the country 
where the Jew resides, he still lives upon the hope that he 
will one day journey Zionward. No clime can change, no 
season quench, that patriotic ardor with which the Jew 
beholds Jerusalem, even through the vista of a long futurity. 
On his first approach to the city, while yet within a day’s 
journey, he puts on his best apparel; and when the first 
view of it bursts upon his sight, he rends his garments, falls 
down to weep and pray over the long-sought object of his 
pilgrimage, and with dust sprinkled on his head, he enters 
the city of his forefathers. No child ever returned home 
after a long absence with more yearnings of affection ; no 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


359 


proud baron ever beheld his ancestral towers and lordly 
halls, when they had become another’s, with greater sorrow 
than the poor Jew when he first beholds Jerusalem. This, 
at least, is patriotism. 

“ After surveying this almost total desertion of Palestine, 
to read the indications of fond attachment to its very air and 
soil, scattered about in the Jewish writings ; still it is said, 
that man is esteemed most blessed, who, even after his 
death, shall reach the land of Palestine, and be buried there, 
or even shall have his ashes sprinkled by a handful of its 
sacred dust. c The air of the land of Israel,’ says one, 
‘ makes a man wise ; ’ another writes, ‘ he who walks four 
cubits in the land of Israel is sure of being a son of the life 
to come.’ c The great wise men are wont to kiss the borders 
of the Holy Land, to embrace its ruins, and roll themselves 
in its dust.’ * The sins of all those are forgiven who inhabit 
the land of Israel.’ He who is buried there is reconciled 
with God, as though he were buried under the altar. The 
dead buried in the land of Canaan first come to life in the 
days of the Messiah. 

« In Jerusalem alone, of any place upon the earth, is the 
Hebrew spoken as a conversational language ; for, although 
the Scriptures are read, and the religious rites performed in 
Hebrew, in the various countries in which the Jews are 
scattered, yet they speak the language of the nations among 
whom they are located. And, as the last link of that chain 
which binds them to home and to happiness, they, like other 
oppressed nations, cling to it with rapturous delight. And 
it is the only door by which the missionary there has access 
to the Jew ; for they have themselves said to me, ‘We 
cannot resist the holy language.’ 

“ Most of the Jews are learned, and many spend the 
principal part of their time in studying the Scriptures or the 
Talmud, while others are engaged in discussing the law, and 
disputing in the synagogues, or in weeping over Jerusalem. 
They are particularly courteous to strangers, and seem 
anxious to cultivate intercourse with Franks. 

“ But of all the phases under which the Jews can be seen, 


860 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


the most deeply interesting is that exhibited when they col¬ 
lect to weep over the stones of Jerusalem, that I have already 
described as belonging to the ancient city, and situated in 
the western wall of the court of the temple. 

tc One day during my stay, the whole congregation met 
upon the anniversary of the great earthquake at Saphet, 
where so many of their brethren were destroyed. It was a 
touching sight, and one that years will not efface, to witness 
this mourning group, and hear them singing the songs of 
David, in the full, expressive language in which they were 
written, beneath Mount Zion, on which they were composed, 
and before those very walls that in other times rang with 
the same swelling chorus. But not now are heard the joyous 
tones of old ; for here every note was swollen with a sigh, 
or broken with a sob, the sighs of Judah’s mourning maid¬ 
ens, the sobs and smothered groans of the patriarchs of 
Israel. And that heart must indeed be sadly out of tune, 
whose chords would not vibrate to the thrilling strains of 
Hebrew song, when chanted by the sons and daughters of 
Abraham, in their native city. 

“ Much as they venerate the very stones that now form 
the walls of this enclosure, they dare not set foot within its 
precincts ; for the crescent of the Moslem is glittering from 
the minaret, and the blood-red banner of Mahomet is waving 
over their heads. 

“Were I asked, what was the object of the greatest 
interest that I had seen, and the scene that made the deepest 
impression upon me, during my sojourn in other lands, I 
would say, that it was a Jew mourning over the stones of 
Jerusalem. And what principle, what feeling is it, it may 
be asked, that can thus keep the Hebrew, through so many 
centuries, still yearning towards his native city, still looking 
forward to his restoration, and the coming of the Messiah? 
Hope, hope is the principle that supports the Israelite 
through all his sufferings, with oppression for his inherit¬ 
ance, sorrow and sadness for his certain lot, the constant 
fear of trials, bodily pain, and mental anguish, years of dis¬ 
grace, and a life of misery ; without a country and without 


HISTORY OP THE JEWS. 


361 


a home ; scorned, robbed, insulted and reviled ; the power 
of man, and even death itself, cannot obliterate that feeling.” 

The really sincere among the European Jews are now 
looking with longing eyes in the direction of the Holy Land. 
An opinion is prevalent among them that they shall speedily 
be restored to their own country ; and they believe that the 
changes which have lately taken place in the East, are 
designed by the Most High as preparatory to a signal mani¬ 
festation of his favor towards his ancient people.* A singu- 


* The following stirring appeal to the Jews, with reference to their re¬ 
turn to Palestine, by one of their own nation, appeared in “ Der Orient, ” 
an able and influential journal, conducted by a learned Israelite of Leipsic, 
on the 27th of June, 1840 : — 

“The day of the Lord will appear; His wrath rests not for ever on the 
unhappy seed of Abraham! For ages he has led us through the wilderness 
of privation and wo ; but the trial is coming to an end. Already dawns the 
day of redemption from the East, from the land of our fathers, the loss of 
which we weep with tears of blood. Our inheritance, rent from us by the 
destroying sword of the Romans, laid waste and desolate by inundations of 
Arabs, Seldshucks, Mongols, and Osmans, is expecting its lawful possess¬ 
ors to rise from annihilation to the eminence which David, the ruler of 
Jerusalem and Damascus, once conferred upon it. 

“ Now or never. The Turkish empire is falling to ruin; the Sclavonian 
provinces of the north have created their own government: Greece has 
severed itself: the Wallachians number the days till their perfect indepen¬ 
dence : the Arabs, led on by Mehemet Alps powerful sceptre, have given 
the last blow to the sinking throne of Osman : no power on earth will pre¬ 
vent its total overthrow. Already the fire of discord flames in the heart of 
the empire. In Adrianople and Smyrna, Christians and Turks stand op¬ 
posed to each other. Will Israel alone hide his hand in his bosom ? The 
events of the East are the finger of the Lord; a sphere is there opening to 
us ; there will our fate be decided '. Have we then for so many centuries, 
and even to this day, so undauntedly preserved our paternal manners and 
customs, our language and religion, amid so many storms, among the north¬ 
ern strangers, for nothing else but annihilation allured by a pitiful political 
emancipation? After endless petitioning, some few privileges, curtailed 
on every side, are thrown to us out of compassion or greedy speculation. 
And to whose favor at last do we owe these niggardly gifts ? The people 
who have never tolerated us as neighbors but with malicious eye ? By 
the people and their leaders we are as much hated as ever. Look at the 
states where the democratic element preponderates 5 hatred and contempt, 

31 



862 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


lar instance of anxiety to repair to Palestine has lately been 
given by the Polish Jews. Thirty thousand of them pre¬ 
sented a petition to the Emperor Nicholas, requesting him 
to allow them to proceed thither in a body to await, during 


but no kindness ! As strangers, we are tolerated; but nowhere sought 
after, nowhere loved. The distinction between the Schemetic southern 
stock, and the fair children of the north, is too indelibly marked both on 
body and mind to render an amalgamation possible. We are neither Ger¬ 
mans nor Sclavonians, nor yet Italians, nor Greeks 5 we are the children of 
Israel, kindred of the Arabs, who carried their glorious arms from the Cau¬ 
casus to the pillars of Hercules. Unspeakable misfortunes compelled us 
to claim the rights of hospitality from foreign nations, but not for ever 
shall we be trampled under their feet, deprived of the sacred name of 
father-land. 

“ We have a country, the inheritance of our fathers, finer, more fruitful, 
better situated for commerce, than many of the most celebrated portions 
of the globe. Environed by the deep delled Tarus, the lively shores of the 
Euphrates, the lofty steppes of Arabia, and of rocky Sinai, our country ex¬ 
tends along the shores of the Mediterranean, crowned by the towering ce¬ 
dars of Lebanon, the source of a hundred rivulets and brooks, which spread 
fruitfulness over shady dales, and confer wealth upon the contented inhab¬ 
itants. A glorious land! situated at the furthest extremity of the sea 
which connects three quarters of the globe, over which the Phoenicians, 
our brethren, sent their numerous fleets to the shores of Albion, and the 
rich coasts of Lithuania, near to both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf; 
the perpetual courses of the traffic of the world, on the way from Persia 
and India to the Caspian and Black Sea 5 the central country of the com¬ 
merce between the east and west. 

“ Every country has its peculiarity, every people their own nature. 
Syria, with its extensive surrounding plains, unfavorable to regular cultiva¬ 
tion, is a land of transit, of communication, of caravans. No people of the 
earth have lived so true to their calling from the first as we have done ; we 
are a trading people, born for the country where little food is necessary, 
and this is furnished by nature almost spontaneously to the temperate in¬ 
habitants, but not for the heavy soils of the ruder north. 

“In no country of the earth are our brethren so numerous as in Syria; in 
none do they live in as dense masses, so independent of the surrounding 
inhabitants; in none do they persevere so steadfastly in their faith in the 
promise of the fathers, as on the beautiful shores of the Orontes. In Da¬ 
mascus alone live nearly sixty thousand. 

“The Arab has maintained his language and his original country; on the 
Nile, in the deserts, as far as Sinai, and beyond Jordan he feeds his flocks. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


S63 


three years, the coming of the Messiah ; promising to return 
to Poland and embrace the Christian faith, if their expected 
Deliverer should not appear within that time. Those of 
Palestine, however, warmly dissuaded their brethren from 


In the elevated plains of Asia Minor the Turkoman has conquered for him¬ 
self a second country, the birth-place of the Osman ; but Syria and Pales¬ 
tine are depopulated. For centuries the battle-field between the sons of 
Altai and of the Arabian wilderness, the inhabitants of the west and the 
half nomadic Persians, none have been able to establish themselves and 
maintain their nationality ; no nation can claim the names of'Syrian. A 
chaotic mixture of all tribes and tongues, remnants of migrations from north 
and south, they disturb one another in the possession of the glorious land, 
where our fathers so many centuries emptied the cup of joy and wo, where 
every clod is drenched with the blood of our heroes when their bodies 
were buried under the ruins of Jerusalem. 

“ The power of our enemies is gone, the angel of discord has long since 
mown down their mighty hosts, and yet ye do not bestir yourselves, people 
of Jehovah ! What hinders ? Nothing but our own supineness ! No Pha- 
roah will prevent our pilgrimage, no legions stop our course. If the Chris¬ 
tians have found means to force the passage of the Dardanelles through the 
midst of hostile and warlike nations, why should not we, who have no¬ 
where enemies ? Think you, that Mehemet Ali or the Sultan in Stamboul 
will not be convinced that it would be better for him to be the protector 
of a peaceful and wealthy people, than with infinite loss of men and money 
to contend against the ever-repeated, mutually provoked insurrections of 
the Turks and Arabs, of whom neither the one nor the other are able to 
give prosperity to the country ? 

“ It needs no extraordinary efforts to take possession of Syria, at least 
under Egyptian supremacy. If the Servians and Greeks have found pro¬ 
tection, why should not we, the friends of all the monarchs of Europe ? 
France lavishes blood and treasure to civilize Africa ; India flourishes under 
the British sceptre ; the hordes of the Mongols learn agriculture under the 
strong hand of Russia; shall no government be found to rescue Syria from 
desolating anarchy, to erect there a school of humanity and civilization for 
the East ? 

u Our probation was long, in all countries, from the north pole to the 
south! There is no trade, no art, which we have not practised, no science 
in which we cannot show splendid examples. Where will you find better 
proclaimed of civilization to the wild tribes of the East? 

u people of Jehovah, raise yourselves from your thousand years’ slum¬ 
ber! Rally round leaders 5 have really the will—a Moses will not be 
wanting. The rights of nations will never grow # old; take possession of 



864 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


taking such a step ; and it seems very unlikely that their 
petition would be favorably received by the emperor, who is 
exceedingly jealous of all movements among his Hebrew 
subjects.* * 

In Persia, the condition of the Jews is peculiarly hard. 
The Rev. Joseph Wolff, who visited them as a missionary 
in 1825 and 1826, described their oppression in the following 
language :— 

“Every house at Shiraz, with a low narrow entrance, is 
a Jew’s. Every man, with a dirty woolen, or dirty camel 
hair turban, is a Jew. Every coat, much torn and mended 
about the back, with worn sleeves, is a Jew’s. Every one 
picking up old broken glass, is a Jew. Every one search¬ 
ing for dirty robes, and asking for old shoes and sandals, 
is a Jew. That house into which no quadruped but a goat 
will enter, is a Jew’s. 

“ In reporting to you this description, I wish you to know 
that I do not joke about the misery of my brethren ; but really 
this is exactly the condition of the Jews at Shiraz. On my 
entering the Jewish quarter at Shiraz, I saw old and 
young men, and old and young women, sitting in the street 
and begging ; their heads were bowed to the ground and 
fainting ; and stretching out their hands, they cried after me 
with a fainting voice, ‘ Only on e pool ! I am a poor Israale ! 
I am a poor Israael ! ’ I distributed some trifle among them, 
and several of the Jews said to me, ‘ Are you arrived ? 
We have heard that you are a son of Israel, and have 
brought with you the Gospel in Hebrew. Give us the Gos¬ 
pel ! ’ I told them that I intended to visit them in their 
houses ; and whilst I was speaking with them, I heard the 
poor Jews and Jewesses crying, ‘ I am a poor Israale ! I am 
a poor Israale ! One pool, only one pool ! I am a poor 
Israale ! ’ And others sat in the street, and ate onions and 

the land of your fathers; build a third time the temple on Zion, greater aud 
more magnificent than ever. Trust in the Lord, who has led you safely 
through the vale of misery thousands of years. He also will not forsake 
you in your last conflict. ” 

* Church of England Magazine, May, 1840. 




HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


365 


begged bread, and exclaimed, c Only one pool ! I am a poor 
Israale ! ’ I went home, and said to myself,‘ What a sight 
have I seen ! 5 and with tears I repeated the words of my 
brethren, c Only one pool ! I am a poor Israale ! ’ 

“ One of the rabbis remarked to me,’ 5 says Mr. Wolff, 
“none of the Jews scattered in the world expect, and have 
reason to expect, the Messiah with more anxiety, than those 
Jews scattered throughout Persia ; for the Gentiles in Persia 
do not only compel us to pay heavy tribute, but they have 
likewise set over us task-masters, to afflict us with their bur¬ 
dens ; every Persian is a Hainan to us. They make us 
serve with rigor; we must work for them without being 
paid ; and, like Pharaoh of old, they make our lives bitter 
with hard bondage. Read the Bible, and see how all the chil¬ 
dren of Israel have suffered, as well in Egypt as in Babel, 
and you will then know well what we suffer here. O ! what 
we suffer in Persia cannot be described ! The father goes 
daily with fear to the market-place ; for he is always in fear 
that, whilst he is buying bread for his family, the prince or 
the governor has carried away his daughter for the harem, 
or his little son to make him an eunuch. Not long ago, 
eight Jewish girls were taken at Shiraz by the express order 
of the Shah ! At Ispahan five daughters of Israel were 
taken for the harem of the governor ! They are lost to the 
parents forever ; for we cannot go and say, give us back our 
daughters ! By what crimes have we then deserved this 
furious intolerance ? what is our guilt ? is it in that gene¬ 
rous constancy which we have manifested in defending the 
laws of our fathers ? But this constancy ought to have en¬ 
titled us to the admiration of all nations, and it has only 
sharpened against us the dagger of persecution—braving all 
kinds of torments, the pangs of death, the still more terrible 
pangs of life ! 

The Rev. H. A. Stern, missionary of the London Society, 
says :—“ I will now give you some particulars relative to 
the state of oppression in which our Jewish brethren are 
kept by the Moslems, which I learned from the mullahs, or 
rabbis. 


31* 


366 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


“I. They have not justice rendered unto them. Any 
Gentile can inflict upon them any punishment he may choose, 
with the greatest impunity. 

“ II. They dare not dress themselves respectably, else they 
would be suspected of being rich, and would consequently be 
plundered. 

“ III. If they possess anything of value, the Moslems are 
sure to seize it. 

“ IV. It is dangerous for a Jew to go out on Friday, that 
being one of the Moslems’ sacred days. 

“ V. When it rains, they are subject to great annoyances if 
they go out, as they may splash a Moslem, and so pollute 
him. 

“ VI. When a Moslem charges them with a crime, the 
whole town is sure to believe it, and they are ready to mas¬ 
sacre them all. Last year some pilgrims from Mesjid Ali 
spread a report that the Jews in Bagdad, aided by the 
Turks, had effected some mischief. The whole town was 
immediately in an uproar. The Moslems cried, ‘The 
Jews are our enemies, and must be destroyed. 5 And it was 
only by the payment of a large sum of money that they 
escaped from destruction. 

<c Their position in Hainadan is indeed painful, and the 
marks of oppression are visible in every countenance. In 
Bagdad, the Jews are fine noble-looking men, and walk with 
all the gravity and independence imaginable; here, they go 
about with their heads bowed down, their countenance pale 
and emaciated ; and their cringing slavish appearance and 
demeanor, stamps them all with the badge of oppression. 
Let the sceptic and the infidel see Israel in these regions, 
and the scales of ignorance and delusion, one would imagine, 
must fall from his eyes, and he would be compelled to con¬ 
fess that Moses was a prophet indeed, and that the prophe¬ 
cies are not the productions of a speculative head, but of an 
inspired pen. The curses are indeed terribly fulfilled here. 
In Hamadan there are thirty Jewish families who came from 
Khorassin, where they were so fiercely persecuted a few 
years since, that they were glad to escape on any terms ; 


HISTORY OP THE JEWS. 


367 


some fled to the adjacent countries, others saved themselves 
by professing Islainism. Such is the condition of the Jews 
in Persia. We were told that they were less oppressed in 
Teheran; but this we shall soon have an opportunity, I 
trust, of ascertaining—and will send you the result of our in¬ 
quiries in a future letter.” 

The following conversation took place between Mr. S. 
and the rabbis :— 

Missionary. How long have you been in this country ? 

Rabbi. Since the time of Cyrus. 

M. From what tribe are you descended ? 

R. From the tribe of Judah. 

M. Has your community here always remained as it is 
now ? 

R. No. A hundred years since there were thirteen syna¬ 
gogues in this place, and a very great number of Jews, but 
the Ishmaelites have only left us three, and one which was 
erected a few years since, they destroyed before it was com¬ 
pleted. 

Second Rabbi. On account of our sins we are in captivity, 
and on account of our sins the Goim (or Gentiles) rule over 
us, and on account of our sins we are exiles in this country. 

M. Yes ; on account of the sin of which you are guilty in 
rejecting Jesus of Nazareth, the wrath of God is come upon 
you to the uttermost. But believe in Jesus, His blood will 
cleanse you from all your sins 

R. Give me the Gospel and I will read it. 

One of these two Mullahs is the most learned Jew in 
Persia, and is greatly respected both by Jews and Moslems. 

Dr. Wolff, in his narrative of a mission to Bokhara, in 
the years 1843-1845, to ascertain the fate of Colonel Stod- 
dart and Captain Conolly, states thus : — 

“ I will give you the following account :—When I visited 
Meshed, in 1831, I found there two hundred and thirty fam¬ 
ilies of the Jews, the cleanest and most interesting of any 
throughout Persia. They did not, however, occupy their 
time in the study of the prophets, but in reading the Persian 
writers, Hafiz, Saadi, and Ferdusi, See. Two years and a 


3G8 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


half ago, I found, to my great sorrow, the whole of them 
had apostatized and become Mohamedans. The cause of 
the change was this :—Six or seven years ago, a poor Jew- 
ess, who had a bad hand, asked the advice of a Mohamedan 
physician, who told her to kill a dog and dip her hand in the 
blood. She did so, and it happened to be at the time of 
Bairam, one of the Mohamedan feasts, when they offer a 
sacrifice. One Sayeed, i. e. one of the descendants of Mu- 
hamad, the prophet, assembled the Mohamedans in the great 
mosque of Imam Resa, at Meshed, and exclaimed, c People 
of Mohamed, the Jews have sacrificed on the holy day of 
Bairam a dog, in derision of our religion. I therefore shall 
only pronounce two words, which will tell you what to do, 
and these two words are, ( Allah daad.’ ” The meaning of 
these two words are “ God has given! 55 Upon this, thou¬ 
sands of Mussulmans rushed to the houses of the Jews, 
shouting “Allah daad!” burnt, destroyed, and plundered 
their houses, and killed thirty-five of them! The rest of 
the Jews, smitten with consternation, to save their lives, 
cried out, “There is God, and nothing but God, and Mo¬ 
hamed, the prophet of God! ” A few good old men, how- 
ever, exclaimed, “ Hear, Israel! the Lord our God is one 
Lord! The law of Moses is truth, and the prophets are 
truth!” and immediately their heads were struck off! The 
anniversary on which the Jews were massacred, is now 
called by the Mohamedans, as well as by the Jews of Me¬ 
shed, “The year of Allah daad!” i. e. the year in which 
the Jews were given into the hands of the Mussulmans! 1 
have lived in one of the houses of these poor Jews, where 
they in secret worship the God of their fathers in their own 
way. It was on the Day of the Atonement, when most of 
them, especially their women, fasted the whole day. The 
poor Jewesses tell their children, “ Never forget that you 
are of the seed of Israel, and remember the day of Allah 
daad!” The Mohamedans suspecting them, have estab¬ 
lished a regular Inquisition, like that of the Inquisition in 
Spain, against these poor apostates. In some letters I 
brought from them for Sir Moses Montefiore, they state their 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


309 


great desire to leave Meshed, and to go to Jerusalem. I 
saw one of these poor Jews, Rakhmim by name, who on the 
day of Allah daad apostatized, but soon after became mad, 
and runs now about in the streets of Meshed, and continu¬ 
ally exclaims, ct Allah daad!” He tears every cloth they 
give him, and exclaims, “ Allah daad!” I asked him why 
he did not dress himself? His answer is, “Allah daad! 
Allah daad!” He went about on the day of Ramazan, 
when all the Mohamedans fast, but with a piece of bread in 
his hand. The Muharnadans look at him, and ask him, 
“ Why do you eat? ” His answer is, “ Allah daad! ” when 
they leave him alone ; for the Mohamedans never strike or 
kill a madman. I said one day to him, “ Rakhmim, if I 
give you new clothes, will you wear them?” “Oh yes,” 
he answered, “ I will wear what Mullah Joseph Wolff gives 
me!” Three days afterwards, I saw him, arid observed 
that he had torn the new clothes. I asked him why he had 
torn them? “Allah daad! Allah daad!” was his answer. 
Now my dear friends, I tell you all here, “ Allah daad! ” 
God has given the Jews of Meshed into your hands ; you 
can certainly do a great deal for them, to bring them out. of 
this misery! and to bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ! 
If you do, then really it will be “Allah daad!” in the best 
sense of the word.” 

In Yemen, the ancient Arabia Felix, there are about two 
hundred thousand Jews, who have eighteen synagogues in 
the chief town, Sana. Their houses are very neat, and 
their copies of the Law are beautifully written. Their 
brethren in Bagdad, Bussora, and Bombay, correspond with 
them. Polygamy exists among this branch of the Hebrew 
family. They affirm that their ancestors never returned to 
Jerusalem after the burning of the Temple by Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar ; assigning to Ezra as the reason why they declined 
his invitation to go up with him, that they would not quit 
their habitations until the “ Messiah should come.” One of 
the rabbis of Yemen told Dr. Wolff his brethren believed, 
that in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, the sufferings of the 
Messiah, before he should enter into his glory, were de¬ 
scribed. 


370 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


But there is no place in Arabia more remarkable for its 
Hebrew population than Aden, which has lately been occu¬ 
pied by British troops. The majority of the inhabitants of 
this place are Jews; generally poor, being carpenters, 
stone masons, and artisans of various kinds. A few are sil¬ 
versmiths, but scarcely any are merchants ; though, while 
it was in possession of the native prince, some acted in the 
capacity of clerks or writers to him. The Israelites here 
are strict Talmudists, untainted by the scepticism now so 
prevalent among their brethren in continental Europe. They 
have a synagogue, very regularly and devoutly attended ; and 
three public schools, in which the young are taught to read 
Hebrew. Many are instructed at home ; and it is believed 
that almost all the Jewish children of the district either 
publicly or privately acquire the ability to read. Both the 
ecclesiastical and civil affairs of the community are regu¬ 
lated by the chief of the synagogue, and four elders, who act 
as his assessors. The Israelites of Aden have many copies 
of the Law, as well as other portions of the Old Testament, 
and likewise some sections of the Talmud, on which they 
set a high value. They hold constant intercourse with their 
brethren in the interior. The burying-grounds of the town 
cover several acres, and the majority of the inscriptions on 
the tombstones are in Hebrew characters. 

The following paragraph, which lately appeared in a Ger¬ 
man paper, under the head of Leipsic, is calculated to lead 
to some interesting inquiries respecting the fate of the Ten 
Tribes :— 

“ After having seen, for some years past, merchants from 
Tiflis, Persia, and Armenia, among the visitors at our fair, 
we have had, for the first time, two traders from Bucharia 
with shawls , which are there manufactured of the finest wool 
of the goats of Tibet and Cashmere , by the Jewish fami¬ 
lies, who form a third part of the population. In Bucharia 
(formerly the capital of Sogdiana) the Jews have been very 
numerous ever since the Babylonian captivity, and are there 
as remarkable for their industry and manufactures as they 
are in England for their money transactions. It was not till 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


371 


last year, that the Russian government succeeded in extend¬ 
ing its diplomatic missions far into Bucharia. The above 
traders exchanged their shawls for coarse and fine woollen 
cloths, of such colors as are most esteemed in the East.” 

Much interest has been excited by the information which 
this paragraph conveys, and which is equally novel and im¬ 
portant. In none of the geographical works which we have 
consulted, do we find the least hint as to the existence, in 
Bucharia, of such a body of Jews as that here mentioned, 
amounting to one-third of the whole population ; but as the 
fact can no longer be doubted, the next point of inquiry 
which presents itself, is, whence have they proceeded, and 
how have they come to establish themselves in a region so 
remote from their original country ? This question, we 
think, can only be answered by supposing, that these persons 
are the descendants of the long-lost Ten Tribes, concerning 
the fate of which theologians, historians, and antiquaries, 
have been alike puzzled ; and, however wild this hypothesis 
may at first appear, there are not wanting circumstances to 
render it far from being improbable. In the 17th chapter of 
the second book of Kings, it is said, “ In the ninth year of 
Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried 
Israel away unto Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in 
Habor, by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the 
Medes ;” and in the subsequent verses, as well as in the 
writings of the prophets, it is said, that the Lord then “ put 
away Israel out of his sight, and carried them away into the 
land of Assyria, unto this day.” In the Apocrypha, 2d 
Esdras, xiii. it is said, that the Ten Tribes were carried 
beyond the river (Euphrates,) and so they were brought 
into another land, when they took counsel together, that 
they would leave the multitude of the heathen, and go forth 
into a further country, where never mankind dwelt; that 
they entered in at the narrow passages of the river Euphra¬ 
tes, when the springs of the flood were stayed, and “ went 
through the country a great journey, even of a year and a 
half:” and it is added, that “there they will remain until 
the latter time, when they will come forth again.” The 


372 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


country beyond Bucharia was unknown to the ancients ; and 
it is, we believe, generally admitted that the river Gozan, 
mentioned in the Book of Kings, is the same as the Ganges, 
which has its rise in those very countries, in which the Jews 
reside, of whom the Leipsic account speaks. The distance 
which these two merchants must have travelled cannot, 
therefore, be less than three thousand miles; and there can 
be little doubt that the Jews, whom they represent as a third 
part of the population of the country, are descendants of the 
Ten Tribes of Israel, settled by the river Gozan. 

The great plain of Central Asia, forming four principal 
sides, viz., Little Bucharia, Thibet, Mongols, and Man- 
cheous, contains a surface of 150,000 square miles, and a 
population of 20,000,000. This vast country is still very 
little known. The great traits of its gigantic formation 
compose, for the most part, all that we are certain of. It is 
an immense plain of an excessive elevation, intersected with 
barren rocks, and vast deserts, of a black and almost moving 
sand. It is supported on all sides by mountains of granite, 
whose elevated summits determine the different climates of 
the great continent of Asia, and form the division of its 
Waters. From its exterior flow all the great rivers of that 
part of the world. In the interior are a quantity of rivers, 
having little declivity, or no issue, which are lost in the 
sands, or perhaps feed stagnant waters. In the southern 
chains are countries, populous, rich, and civilized ; Little 
Bucharia, Great and Little Thibet. The people of the 
north are shepherds and wanderers. Their riches consist in 
their herds. Their habitations are tents, and town camps, 
which are transported according to the want of pasturage. 
The Bucharians enjoy the right of trading to all parts of 
Asia, and the Thibetians cultivate the earth to advantage. 
The ancients had only a confused idea of Central Asia. 
“The inhabitants of this country, 5 ’ as we learn from a 
great authority, “ are in a high state of civilization ; possess¬ 
ing all the useful manufactures, and lofty houses built with 
stone. The Chinese reckon (but this is evidently an exag¬ 
geration) that Thibet alone contains 33,000,000 of persons. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


873 


The merchants of Cashmere, on their way to Yarkand, in 
Little Bucharia, pass through Little Thibet. This country 
is scarcely known to European geographers.” The im¬ 
mense plain of Central Asia is hemmed in, and almost inac¬ 
cessible by mountain ranges of the greatest elevation, which 
surround it on all sides, except towards China ; and when 
the watchful jealousy of the government of the Celestial 
Empire is considered, it will scarcely be wondered at that 
the vast region in question is so little known. 

Such is the country which these newly-discovered Jews 
are said to inhabit in such numbers. The following facts 
may, perhaps, serve to throw some additional light on this 
interesting subject. 

In the year 1822, a Mr. Sargon, who, if we mistake not, 
was one of the agents to the London Society, communicated 
to England some interesting accounts of a number of persons 
resident at Bombay, Cannanore, and their vicinity, who 
were evidently the descendants of Jews, calling themselves 
Beni-Israel, and bearing, almost uniformly, Jewish names, 
but with Persian terminations. This gentleman, feeling 
very desirous to obtain all possible knowledge of their con¬ 
dition, undertook a mission for this purpose to Cannanore ; 
and the result of his inquiries was, a conviction that they 
were not Jews of the one tribe and a half, being of a differ¬ 
ent race to the white and black Jews at Cochin, and, conse¬ 
quently, that they were a remnant of the long-lost Ten 
Tribes. This gentleman also concluded, from the informa¬ 
tion he obtained respecting the Beni-Israel, that they existed 
in srreat numbers in the countries between Cochin and Bom- 
bay, the north of Persia, among the hordes of Tartary and 
in Cashmere ; the very countries in which, according to the 
paragraph in the German paper, they exist in such numbers. 
So far, then, these accounts confirm each other, and there is 
every probability that the Beni-Israel, resident on the west 
of the Indian Peninsula, had originally proceeded from 
Bucharia. It will, therefore, be interesting to know some¬ 
thing of their moral and religious character. The following 
particulars are collected from Mr. Sargon’s accounts.—1. In 
32 


S74 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


dress and manners they resemble the natives, so as not to be 
distinguished from them, except by attentive observation and 
inquiry. 2. They have Hebrew names of the same kind, 
and with the same local terminations, as the Sepoys in the 
ninth regiment Bombay Native Infantry. 3. Some of them 
read Hebrew, and they have a faint tradition of the cause of 
their original Exodus from Egypt. 4. Their common lan¬ 
guage is the Hindoo. 5. They keep idols and worship 
them, and use idolatrous ceremonies intermixed with He¬ 
brew. 6. They circumcise their own children. 7. They 
observe the Kippoor, or great expiation-day of the Hebrews, 
but not the Sabbath, or any feast or fast days. 8. They call 
themselves Gorah Jehudi, or White Jews; and they term 
the B1 ack Jews Collah Jehudi. 9. They speak of the Ara¬ 
bian Jews as their brethren, but do not acknowledge the 
European Jews as such, because they are of a fairer com¬ 
plexion than themselves. 10. They use on all occasions, 
and under the most trivial circumstances, the usual Jewish 
Prayer, “ Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.” 
11. They have no cohen (priest,) levite, or casi among 
them, under those terms ; but they have a kasi (reader,) 
who performs prayers and conducts their religious ceremo¬ 
nies ; and they appear to have elders and a chief in each 
community, who determine in their religious concerns. 12. 
They expect the Messiah, and that they will one day return 
to Jerusalem. They think that the time of his appearance 
will soon arrive, at which they much rejoice, believing that 
at Jerusalem they will see their God, worship him only, and 
be despised no more. 

This is all the information that can be collected from the 
accounts of Mr. Sargon. The celebrated Oriental Geogra¬ 
pher, Ibn Haukal, however, describes with great minuteness, 
under the appellation of Mawer-al-nahr, the region in which 
these Jews are said to have been discovered. He speaks of 
it generally as one of the most flourishing and productive 
provinces within the dominion of Islam, and describes the 
people as distinguished for probity and virtue, as averse 
from evil, and fond of peace. “ Such is their liberality,” 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


375 


says he, “ that no one turns aside from the rites of hospital¬ 
ity ; so that a person contemplating them in the night, would 
imagine that all the families in the land were but one house. 
When a traveller arrives there, every person endeavors to 
attract him to himself, that he may have opportunities of 
performing kind offices for the stranger ; and the best proof 
of their hospitable and generous disposition is, that every 
peasant, though possessing but a bare sufficiency, allows a 
portion of his cottage for the reception of his guest. Thus, 
in acts of hospitality they expend their incomes. Never 
have I heard of such things in any other country. The rich 
and great lords of most other places expend their treasures on 
particular favorites, in the indulgence of gross appetites, and 
sensual gratifications. The people of Mawer-al-nahr em¬ 
ploy themselves in a useful and rational manner ; they lay 
out their money in erecting caravanseries, or inns, &,c.—You 
cannot see any town, or stage, or even desert, without a con¬ 
venient inn or stagehouse, for the accommodation of travel¬ 
lers, with everything necessary. I have heard that there are 
above two thousand nehats or inns, where, as many persons 
as may arrive, shall find sufficient forage for their beasts, and 
meat for themselves.” 

These particulars, we should presume, can scarcely fail to 
prove interesting both in a moral and religious, as well as in 
a geographical point of view. The number of the scattered 
members of the tribe of Judah and the half-tribe of Benja¬ 
min, rather exceed than fall short of five millions. Now, if 
to this number be added the many other millions to be found 
in the different countries of the East, what an immense 
power would be brought into action were the spirit of the 
nationality once roused, or any extraordinary event to occur, 
which should induce them to unite in claiming possession of 
that land, which was given to them for an “ heritage for 
ever,” and to which, in every other clime of the earth, their 
fondest hopes and their dearest aspirations never cease to 
turn ! 

Dr. Wilson, missionary to the church of Scotland, gives 
this account of the Beni-Israel : — 


876 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


“ The Beni-Israel possess no historical documents peculiar 
to themselv r es : they have no charters granted by native 
princes, which are often a source of curious information ; 
and their traditions are extremely vague and unsatisfactory. 
Their ancestors, they say, came to the coast of India, from 
a country to the northward, about sixteen hundred years 
ago. They were in number seven men and seven women, 
who were saved from a watery grave, on the occasion of a 
shipwreck, which took place near Chaul, about thirty miles 
to the south-east of Bombay. The place where they found 
refuge is named Navagaum. They and their descendants 
met with considerable favor from the native princes, though 
they were sometimes forced to conceal their principles. As 
they increased, they spread themselves among the villages 
of the Konkan, particularly those near the coast, and lying 
between the Bankot River and the road which traverses the 
country between Pan well and the Borghat. In this locality, 
and also in Bombay, in which they began to settle after it 
came into the possession of the English, their descendants 
are still to be found. The population on this island amounts 
to about one thousand nine hundred and thirty-two souls ; 
in the English territories in the Konkan, to about eight hun¬ 
dred ; in the districts belonging to Angria, to eight hundred 
and seventy ; in certain villages below the ghat of the Pant 
Sachiva, to two hundred and nine ; in the districts of the 
Habshi, to four hundred and forty-four ; and in the Bombay 
army, including men, women and children, to about one 
thousand. These numbers, which amount altogether to five 
thousand two hundred and fifty-five, I take principally from 
a census made under my own direction. They fall short of 
the general native estimate by nearly three thousand. It is 
possible that some houses may have been overlooked by the 
persons sent forth by me to collect the information. 

“ The Beni-Israel resemble in countenance the Arabian 
Jews, though they view the name Jehudi, when applied to 
them, as one of reproach. They are fairer than the other 
natives of the same rank of life with themselves ; but they are 
not much to be distinguished from them with regard to dress. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


377 


They have no shcndi , like the Hindoos, on the crown of 
their heads ; but they preserve a tuft of hair above each of 
their ears. Their turbans, angrakhas, and shoes, are like 
those of the Hindoos, and their trowsers are like those of 
the Mussulmans. Their ornaments are the same as those 
worn by the middle class of natives in the Marathi country. 

“ The houses of the Beni-Israel do not differ from those 
of other natives of the same rank. 

“ The Beni-Israel do not eat with persons belonging to 
other communities ; but they do not object to drink from 
vessels belonging to Christians, Mussulmans, or Hindoos. 
They ask a blessing from God, both before and after meals, 
in the Hebrew language. 

“ Each of the Beni-Israel, generally speaking, has two 
names ; one derived from a character mentioned in Scrip¬ 
ture, and another which has originated in deference to 
Hindoo usage. 

“ The Hebrew names current among the men are the 
following: — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Reuben, (which is 
said most to abound,) Joseph, Naphtali, Zebulon, Benjamin, 
Samson, Moshe, Aaron, Eliezer, Phinehas, David, Solomon, 
Elijah, Hezekiel, Daniel, Sadik, Haim, Shalom, and Na- 
shim. The name Judah, it is to be remarked, is not to be 
found among them. The Hindoo names, by which they are 
most commonly known among the natives, are Saku, Jitu, 
Rama, Bapu, Sawandoba, Tana, Dhonda, Abau, Bandu, 
Nathu, Dada, Dhamba, Bala, Baba, Vitu or Yethu, Phakira, 
Yesliu, Satku, Apa, Bhau, Bapshah, Gauria, Pita, Bawa, 
Anandia, Kama, Jangu, Aba. Among these, it will be 
observed, there are only a few which correspond with those 
of the heathen gods. 

“ Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Saphira, Milcah, Zilchah, 
Miriam, and Hannah, are the Hebrew names given to the 
women. Esther, the favorite Jewish name, does not occur 
among them. The names derived from the Hindoos, which 
are found among them, are Balku, Abia, Ama, Yeshi, Zaitu, 
Tanu, Hasu, Ladi, Baina, Aka, Ranu, Rayewa, Baia, 
Nanu, Raju, Thaku, Kalabia, Maka, Saku, Gowaru, Dudi, 
Sai, Sama, and Bhiku, Pithu, Wobu, Dhakalu. 

32* 


378 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


“ The Hebrew names are first conferred on the occasion 
of circumcision ; and those of a Hindoo origin are first 
given, agreeably to the convention of each family, about a 
month after the birth of the individual on whom they are 
bestowed. The surnames of the Beni-Israel are generally 
derived from the villages in which they originally settled. 

“ The vernacular language of the Beni-Israel is the Ma- 
rathi. A few of them, however, are able to converse in 
Gujarathi and Hindoostani. 

“ The Beni-Israel resident in the Konkan principally 
occupy themselves in agriculture, or in manufacturing oil.* 
Those who live in Bombay, with the exception of a few 
shopkeepers, are artisans, particularly masons and carpen¬ 
ters. A few are blacksmiths, goldsmiths, and tailors. 
Shoemakers, barbers, and professional washermen are un¬ 
known amongst them. Some of them, generally bearing 
an excellent character as soldiers, are to be found in most 
of the regiments of native infantry in the Bombay Presi¬ 
dency ; and few of them retire from the service without 
attaining to rank as native officers. There are not many of 
them who possess much property. David “Capitan,” their 
Mukadam, or head-man, in Bombay, is believed to possess 
one or two lacs of rupees. A considerable number of fami¬ 
lies are supposed to be worth from one thousand to five 
thousand rupees. Like the Parsees, they do not tolerate pro¬ 
fessional begging beyond their own community. The poor 
are relieved by private charity, or from the funds of the 
masjid, or synagogue, which are derived from fines and 
offerings. 

“ In the Company’s territories, the Beni-Israel enjoy all 
the toleration which they can desire. In the district of 
country belonging to the petty Hindoo prince Angria, in 
which many of them are to be found, they take the same 
rank as Mussulmans. In that belonging to the Habshi, or 
Mussulman Chief of Jiziri, they are viewed as on a point 
of equality with the agricultural Marathas. 


* Hence the Beni-Israel in general are not unfrequently denominated 
Teli, or oil-men. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


879 


“ All questions respecting the caste and religious discipline 
of the Beni-Israel are determined, in a meeting of the adult 
members of the community in each village, by their Muka- 
dam, or headman, who has a kind of magisterial authority 
in the community ; and the Kazi, who is the president in 
religious matters, and the conductor of public worship,* and 
whose duty it is to entertain the complaints which are made 
to them. The Mukadam and Kazi have generally the assist¬ 
ance of four cliogale, or elders, in the superintendence which 
they exercise, and the judgments which they pronounce. 
Any of the people present at an investigation, however, 
may express their sentiments on the subjects under discus¬ 
sion, record their dissent, and, in certain circumstances, pro¬ 
cure a new trial. In the administration of justice, they 
admonish witnesses to speak the truth, by their regard to 
the Torah, or Law ; but they seldom exact from them a 
formal oath. 

“ The Beni-Israel all profess to adore Jehovah, the God 
of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. Many of them till 
lately, however, publicly worshipped, and some of them at 
the present time secretly worship, the gods of the Hindoos, 
and particularly those who are supposed to be possessed of 
a malevolent character; and a few of them practise divina¬ 
tion, according to the rites of the Hindoos. Though they 
have remained quite distinct from the people among whom 
they have been so long scattered, we see the applicability to 
them of the words of Moses, in Deuteronomy xxviii. 64, 
“ Thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy 
fathers have known, even wood, and stone.” 

“The Beni-Israel have in their synagogues no Sepher - 
Torah, or MS. of the law, like the Jews. They admit, 
however, the divine authority of all the books of the Old 
Testament. 

“ It is only lately that they have become familiar with the 
majority of the names of the inspired writers ; and it was 


* Kazis are to be found only in the villages in which a considerable 
number of the Beni-Israel reside together. 




380 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


not without hesitation that they consented to acknowl¬ 
edge the latter prophets. From the Arabian Jews they 
have received the Hebrew Liturgy of the Sephardim, which 
they partially use in their religious services. A few copies 
of the Cochin ritual, printed in Amsterdam about the end of 
the seventeenth century, are to be found in their hands. 
One of their number has a copy of one of the Targums, I 
believe that of Onkelos, but I do not know that it is turned 
to any account. 

“ The five books of Moses form the standard of the relig¬ 
ious law of the Beni-Israel. Their statutes, however, are 
but partially regarded. Parchments, bearing small passages 
of Scripture, are sometimes worn on different parts of their 
bodies. It is understood that of late they have almost uni¬ 
versally abandoned the use of charms, to which the example 
of the heathen had made them in some degree partial. 

“ When a birth takes place in any village in which the 
Beni-Israel are not very numerous, they almost all visit the 
house, and are entertained with sweetmeats or fruits. Cir¬ 
cumcision is performed by the kazi, on the day appointed by 
the law of Moses. In connexion with it he pronounces the 
words, cc Blessed be thou, O Jehovah, our God, the univer¬ 
sal King, who sanctifies us by his commandments, and 
ordains us concerning circumcision . 55 He also invokes the 
Prophet Elijah, and the expected Messiah, using some 
superstitious ceremonies. The rite is considered as marking 
the descent of the Beni-Israel from Abraham ; but no spir¬ 
itual meaning is attached to it, except by individuals who 
may have had intercourse with Christian missionaries. The 
ceremony is attended by a considerable number of people, 
who are hospitably entertained, and who invoke the health 
of the child over the simple juice of the grape. The kazi 
generally receives from eight annas to two rupees for his 
services. Small presents are sometimes given to the infants. 

“ The marriages of the Beni-Israel generally take place 
as early in life as among the Hindoos. The arrangements 
connected with the betrothment are those of the parents. 
The ceremonies of marriage continue for five, instead of 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


381 


seven clays, as among the ancient Jews ; and they are in 
some respects of a heathenish character. On the first day, 
the bridegroom is restrained from going abroad, is bathed, 
and gets his hands stained red with the leaves of the Mendi , 
(Lawsonia inermis,) and the front of his turban ornamented 
with yellow or white paper, cut in the form of the flowers 
of the champa, (Michelia champaca,) while he is visited by 
his relatives, who begin to feast and rejoice. On the second 
day, his neighbors, w ithout distinction, are invited to par¬ 
ticipate in the hospitality of his father’s house ; w hile he is 
required to have his hair dressed, and to array himself in his 
best apparel and ornaments. He is then mounted on a horse, 
and conveyed, wdth the usual clang and clatter of the natives 
to the place of worship, where a part of the marriage prayers 
of the Liturgy is read, and a blessing is pronounced by the 
kazi. From the masjid, he is conveyed in the same way as 
when moving towards it, to the house of the bride, where he 
is received by her father, and seated among the assembled mul¬ 
titude. A dress and ornaments for the bride, as expensive as 
the circumstances of his family will permit, are presented in 
his name, and by the hands of his father, to the bride, who 
immediately turns them to use. A couch covered with clean 
cloth is then produced, and on it the happy pair are seated 
together. All the visitors stand before them. The kazi 
takes a cup, containing the juice of the grape, which is 
viewed as a token of the covenant about to be entered into ; 
invokes the blessing of God upon it ; puts it into the hands, 
first of the bridegroom, and afterwards of the bride, who 
both drink a little of it as soon as they have been questioned 
as to their willingness to enter into the married relation, and 
faithfully to discharge their respective duties. The mar¬ 
riage covenant, dr.awn out in the form usually observed by 
the Jews, is then produced and read ; and after being signed 
by the individual in whose hand-writing it is, and three other 
w itnesses, it is placed by the bridegroom in the hands of the 
bride. She holds one end of it, while he holds the other, 
and declares it to be a legal deed. He then folds it, and 
gives it into her possession. She disposes of it by commit- 


S3 2 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


ting it to her father’s care. The cup is again tasted ; certain 
passages of the Psalms are read ; a ring is placed by the 
bridegroom on the fore-finger of the right hand of the bride ; 
and the religious part of the ceremonies is declared to be 
closed. The kazi blesses the espoused, seated together ; and 
they receive offerings, principally in small sums of money, 
from their acquaintances. Feasting and rejoicing conclude 
the labors of the day. Next evening, the bridegroom and 
bride leave the father’s house,—the former seated on a 
horse, and the latter in a palanquin,—and proceed, amidst 
the firing of squibs and rockets, to the masjid, where they 
receive a fresh benediction from the kazi, before going to 
the house of the bridegroom, where they dine along with 
their assembled friends. Amusement and feasting continue 
during the two subsequent days. 

“ The marriage covenant is in general rigidly respected, 
even though adultery is but slightly punished, as by a fine 
of one or two rupees. The innocent member of a family, 
in aggravated cases, is allowed a divorce, and the liberty of 
re-marriage. The offending party, in the lax discipline of 
the community, is seldom prevented from having similar 
privileges, when he has the means of purchasing them! 
Polygamy is practised in a considerable number of families ; 
but there are no instances known of a man having more 
than three wives. A few individuals keep female slaves as 
concubines. Barrenness, as of old, is reckoned a great mis¬ 
fortune, and children are adopted by written covenant on a 
failure of issue. Females are by no means so degraded 
among the Beni-Israel as among the Rabbinical Jews ; but 
they are not allowed to go to the masjids for the purpose of 
worship. The kind treatment which they receive favorably 
contrasts with that of the Hindoo females around them. 

“ The interments of the Beni-Israel quickly follow the 
death. They bury without coffins in graves of three or four 
feet in depth. The head of the corpse is placed towards 
the east. They sometimes make offerings to the souls of 
the deceased, of rice, milk, and cocoa-nuts, and sprinkle 
water mixed with flour at the time of the interment ; and 


HISTORY OP THE JEWS. 


383 


they visit the grave on the third, fifth and seventh days after 
it is closed, for the purpose of prayer. They have also an 
annual ceremony in behalf of the dead, like that of the 
Hindoo Shraddh. Their formal mourning for the dead 
lasts seven days. Some few of them think that there is a 
purgatory for the reception of souls after death. 

“The Beni-Israel reckon their day from sunset to sunset. 
They now denominate their months by the Hebrew name. 

“ The weekly Sabbath is, in some degree, observed by 
about a third of the population. At six o’clock in the 
morning they assemble for worship in the masjid, where 
they remain for two or three hours, principally engaged in 
reciting prayers, or parts of the Scripture after the Hazzan, 
or reader, and practising genuflections. A few of the more 
devout of their number may be seen in the masjid about 
mid-day, or about two or three o’clock in the afternoon. 
The evening service, which commences about six o’clock, is 
that perhaps which is best attended. It lasts for about two 
hours, and is frequently concluded by the persons present 
merely touching with their lips the cup of blessing. By the 
greater part of the population the Sabbath is altogether pro¬ 
faned. A bad example in Bombay is shown by some of the 
principal men, w ho are said to spend the day in the audit of 
their accounts. 

“The day of the new r moon is denominated by the Beni- 
Israel, as by the Jews, Rosh Hodesh , or the first of the 
month ; but it is very little observed by them unless it may 
happen to fall on the day of the weekly Sabbath. In a few 
houses, and also in some masjids, the prayers and lessons 
appointed for the day are read, as they are given in the 
Liturgy of the Sephardim, which they denominate Sidur. 
On the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth of the 
month, w hen the moon is seen to increase, the readers of the 
synagogue, and a few other individuals, read the Berchat- 
ha-Lebana, the blessing of the moon,—springing on their 
toes with their faces toward that luminary. This custom, 
like most of the others connected with their worship, is 


384 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


allowed by the Beni-Israel to have been derived from the 
Arabian Jews. 

“ The annual religious festivals and feasts of the Beni- 
Israel, I shall mention under the head, and according to the 
order of the months, beginning with the commencement of 
the ecclesiastical year, which takes place about the vernal 
equinox. 

“ I. Mib, or Nisan .—The great Jewish festival of the 
Pesach, or Passover, commences on the fourteenth of this 
month. It is a curious fact, that the Beni-Israel allow that 
their fathers in India, even till a late period, were entirely 
ignorant of the objects for which it was originally instituted, 
and the manner in which it should be observed, and that the 
only regard which they paid to it, was on the eighth day of 
its commencement, when they indulge themselves in eating 
or drinking. At present, particularly in Bombay, about one- 
third of their number imitate, on a small scale, the mode of 
observance of the Arabian Jews, paying special regard to 
the two first and two last days. During eight days, these 
persons use only unleavened bread, which, on the first and 
second, they mix with herbs. On the first day, they place 
on their tables the right foot of a goat roasted, to remind 
them of the paschal lamb. They do not regard the ancient 
ordinance in reference to having their loins girded, their 
shoes on their feet, and their staves in their hands. They 
use four cups, with the juice of the grape, pretty fr^quentlv 
in the midst of their prayers and readings. One individual 
in a family holds a basin in his hand, into which the contents 
of a cup are poured in ten portions, corresponding with the 
ten plagues inflicted on the Egyptians, which are respectively 
mentioned as the ceremony proceeds. The twenty-third of 
this month the Beni-Israel denominate Isru-Hag, (i bind the 
festival-sacrifice,” as in Psalm cxviii. 27, but for what rea¬ 
son they do not know. It is spent nearly universally by 
them as a day of rejoicing. 

“ 2. Jyar , or Zif .—In this month falls the second Passover 
of the Jews, (Numbers ix. 10, 11,) observed by those who 
cannot attend to the first Passover. It is never regarded by 
the Beni-Israel. 


THE CELEBRATION OF THE FASSOYER, ACCORDING TO MODERN USAGE. 
































































































































































HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


S85 


“ 3. Sivan .—The feast of Shabuoth, (weeks, or Pentecost,) 
commences among the Beni-Israel on the sixth of this 
month. They partially observe it for two days as a season 
of rejoicing, remaining awake at the masjid during the 
intervening night, and spending the time principally in 
reading and praying. They have no ceremonies connected 
with the produce of their fields, though a very few of them 
use the ordinary prayers of the Jews which refer to them. 
They have no acquaintance with the Rabbinical legends 
associated with the festival among the Jews,—such as those 
of the uplifting of Mount Sinai over the head of the Israel¬ 
ites, the crowning of the members of the congregation by 
six hundred thousand angels, and the retreat and advance 
of the people for twelve miles on the giving of each com¬ 
mandment. 

“ 4. Thammuz .—The Jews observe the seventeenth of 
this month, Skiba-asar-Thammuz, as a day of fasting, in 
remembrance of the breaking of the tablets of the law, and 
the ceasing of the regular sacrifice ; and the Beni-Israel 
have begun to be their imitators. 

“ 5. A'b .—On the ninth of this month, Tisha-be-JTb, the 
Jews fast, because it is said that the temple was in it first 
burnt by the Chaldees, and afterwards by the Romans ; and 
because, on it, God declared, in the time of Moses, that 
none of those who came out of Egypt should enter into the 
promised land. Some of the Jews of London, who lately 
opened a correspondence with the Beni-Israel, have exhorted 
them strictly to observe it, to which, for many years, they 
had not been disinclined, having been admonished to the 
same effect by the Cochin Jews. 

“ 6. Elul .—The Beni-Israel observe some customs during 
this month, and the nine days of the following one preceding 
the day of atonement, which, as far as I am aware, are 
peculiar to themselves. Except on the l\osh Ilodesh, and 
the weekly Sabbath, they professedly fast with great strict¬ 
ness during the time that the sun is above the horizon. 
Numbers of them attend the masjid for prayer long before 


sunrise. 


33 


386 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


iS 7. Tisri. —The civil year of the Jews commences on 
the first of this month, called Rosh-ha-Shana. The Beni- 
Israel universally devote to feasting and rejoicing the whole 
day, with the exception of a few hours, during which some 
of them attend the masjid, for the purpose of offering up 
their prayers, and blowing horns and trumpets. Their sal¬ 
utation, when they first meet, is, Tisku le Shanim rabolh — 
May you survive many years! and the reply is commonly, 
Sikateb be sepher bairn tobhim —Let thy name be written in 
the Book of Life! Like the Jews, they use honey and 
sweetmeats at their evening meal. The second day of the 
year they spend in the same manner as the first. About 
three o’clock in the afternoon some of them repair to the 
shore, and worship towards the ocean. On the third of 
Tisri, the fast of Gadaliah, the son of Ahikam, whose murder 
is mentioned in the last chapter of 2 kings, is generally 
observed by the Beni-Israel, as well as by the Jews. The 
fast of the Day of Atonement, or Kippur , which takes 
place on the tenth day, is very strictly regarded by the 
Beni-Israel. A few families, in deference to some rabbinical 
legend, which they have heard from the Arabian or Cochin 
Jews, sacrifice a cock, to which they give the name of the 
kapparah , or expiation, on the preceding evening. They 
spend much time, both during the night and day, in confess¬ 
ing their sins, and supplicating the Divine mercy, agreeably 
to the forms of their Liturgy. In the course of the night 
they offer up prayers to God for the Sovereign of Britain, 
the Governor of Bombay, and all the authorities of the 
country. The day following the Kippur is distinguished for 
the exercise of hospitality and charity. On the fifteenth day 
of this month, the feast of Succoth , or Tabernacles, is cele¬ 
brated by the Beni-Israel for nine days, being two in excess 
of the time prescribed in the Old Testament. A booth, 
covered with branches of the palm, and ornamented with 
flowers and fruit, is erected in every village near the masjid, 
in which the people assemble for the purpose of singing 
some of the Psalms, and receiving the cup of blessing ; but 
their prayers are recited in the usual place. The eighth 


. HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


387 


night, those who attend the Tabernacle devote to watching. 
The two first and two last days of the festival are those 
which are most regarded, and during them little secular 
work is performed. 

“ 8. Bui, or Marchesvan .—In this month the Beni-Israel 
observe neither fast nor festival. 

“ 9. Chisleu. —On the 25th day, commences the festival of 
Hanucha, or Purification of the Temple, which lasts for 
eight days. Few, or none, of the Beni-Israel illuminate 
their houses like the Jews. They keep lights burning, how¬ 
ever, at the masjid, whither, morning and evenings, they 
partially repair for worship. A very few of them have some 
knowledge of the godly zeal of Judas Maccabfeus, which 
the Jews celebrate at this season. 

“ 10. Thebeth. —On the tenth day, a few of the Beni- 
Israel fast, in commemoration of the siege of Jerusalem by 
Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon. 

“11. Shabath. —This month is not distinguished by any 
holiday. 

“ 12. Adar. —On the fourteenth day, the Beni-Israel fast, 
preparatory to the feast of Purim, or Lots, which takes 
place on the following day, and which they partially observe, 
in imitation of the Arabian and Cochin Jews, as a festival 
commemorative of the great deliverance wrought through 
the instrumentality of Esther. They conduct themselves, on 
this occasion, with more propriety than the Jews in most 
parts of the world, and few of them are to be seen in a state 
of intoxication. They do not, like the Jews, repeat the feast 
of Lots, when the intercalary month Ve-Adar happens to 
occur. 

“ The Beni-Israel practise occasional voluntary fasts, par¬ 
ticularly when they are inclined to make vows. 

“The Beni-Israel observe no jubel, or jubilee. 

“The brief survey which we have now made of the ob¬ 
servances of the Beni-Israel, might appear to warrant the 
conclusion that they are Jews, unconnected with the de¬ 
scendants of the Reubeuites and Gadites, and the half-tribe 
of Manasseh, who were carried captive to Halah, and 


888 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Habor, and Hara, and Nahar-Gozan (1 Chron. v. 26,) by 
Pul, King of Assyria, and Tiglath-pilnezer, King of Assyria, 
and unconnected also with the descendants of the ten tribes, 
who were carried captive to the same and neighboring 
places, by Shalmanezer, after the fall of Samaria, in the 
reign of Hosea (2 Kings xvi. 6 ;) for they commemorate 
events with which it is difficult to see how these exiles could 
be connected, and some of which occurred posterior to the 
return of the Jews to their own land from Babylon, to which 
they were removed by Nebuchadnezzar. It is only at first 
sight, however, that such an inference seems to be authorized. 
The Beni-Israel most readily admit, that to this adoption of 
their present practices they have been led by the example 
and precepts of the Arabian and Cochin Jews, who, from 
time to time, have come to visit them, or to reside in their 
neighborhood. The very fact, that they are required to be 
instructed by foreigners in the most solemn and interesting 
ordinances of their religion, as well as in other customs uni¬ 
versally observed by the Jews throughout the world, is a 
presumption that they have been established for many ages 
in this country, and really belong to the long exiled and 
“ lost” tribes of Israel. The Jews of Cochin, who say that 
they came to India immediately after the destruction of the 
second temple, or, according to their own historical notices, 
in the sixty-eighth year of the Christian era, have all along 
considered themselves distinct from the Beni-Israel of Bom¬ 
bay, of whose circumstances they have from time immemo¬ 
rial been well aware ; and the black Jews of Cochin, de¬ 
scendants of proselytes from among the Hindoos and the 
Jewish families which mixed with them, informed the late 
Dr. Claudius Buchanan, when he was making inquiries 
about the ten tribes, that it was tc commonly believed among 
them that the great body of the Israelites is to be found in 
Chaldea ;” but “that some few families had migrated into 
regions more remote, as to Cochin, and Rajapur in India.” 
The last-mentioned place is the district of country bordering 
on the Nagotna Creek, in which many of the Beni-Israel 
are even at present settled. The want of a MS. Sepher- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


389 


Torah, or Book of the Law, among the Beni-Israel, places 
them in a situation in which we do not see any congregation 
of Jews throughout the world. The repudiation, to this 
day nearly universal among them, of the designation Jew, 
of which, no doubt, they would have been proud had they 
merited it ; and the distinctive appellation of “ Beni-Israel,” 
which they take for themselves, the non-occurrence among 
them of the favorite Jewish names, Judah and Esther,—and 
the predominance of the name Reuben, and other names 
principally connected with the early history of God’s highly 
favored people, appear to me to be circumstances strongly 
corroborative of the opinion that they are indeed Israelites 
—a remnant of the posterity of the tribes which were 
removed from their homes by the Assyrian kings.” 

Another very interesting Israelitish colony in India, is 
that of the Jews of Cochin, who are divided into two classes, 
the White and the Black. The former are the descendants 
of emigrants, who, as they assert, came into the country 
after the destruction of the Second Temple; though some 
have supposed that they originally removed from Persia 
some centuries later, on the occasion of a persecution in that 
country. The latter are the offspring of certain natives of 
Malabar. The following account is from the “ Scottish 
Missionary Record,” and is taken from a document prepared 
by the Jews themselves :— 

After the destruction of the second temple, in the three 
thousand eight hundred and twenty-eighth year of the 
creation, three thousand one hundred and sixty-eighth of 
tribulation, and sixty-eighth of the Christian era, about ten 
thousand Jews and Jewesses came to Malabar, and settled 
themselves at Cananganore, Paloor Mahdam, and Poolootto ; 
and three fourths of this population remained at Cananga¬ 
nore, then called Mahodranapatna, and subsequently Ching- 
ly, under the Government of Churum Perumal. 

In the year four thousand one hundred and thirty-ninth of 
the creation, three thousand four hundred and seventy-ninth 
of tribulation, and three hundred seventy-ninth of Christ, 
Cheruman Perumal, Eravy Virma, Emperor of Malabar, 
S3* 


390 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


granted to the Jews the honor and privileges they were to 
exercise, and which grant was engraved on copper-plate, 
call Chempeada, in Maylayalim, and thereby appointed 
Joseph Rabbaan the head of the Jews. 

We now give an approved translation of the grant above 
referred to, made to the Cochin Jews :— 

Swastri Sri ! the King of kings hath ordained it ! when 
Raja Sri Bhaskarah Irava Varrna was wielding the sceptre 
of royalty in a hundred thousand places, in the thirty-sixth 
year, above the second cycle, he vouchsafed during the time 
that he sojourned in Mavil Cottah to perform a deed, the 
subject of which is as follows :—From Yusuf Rabba and his 
people, in five degrees of persons, we exact the tribute of 
due and deference to our high dignity, and of the usual pres¬ 
ent to our Royal person. To these we allow the privileges 
of bearing five kinds of names, (colors ;) of using day lamps ; 
of wearing long apparel, of using palanquins, and umbrellas, 
copper vessels ; trumpet and drums ; of garlands for the per¬ 
son ; and garlands to be suspended over their roads ; and we 
have relinquished all taxes, and rates for these ; and also for 
all other houses, and churches in other cities : and independ¬ 
ent of this bond to him, we have made and given a copper 
instrument for these latter, separate and distinct. These are 
to be enjoyed after these five modes of descent, viz., by 
Yusuf Rabbi himself, and his heirs in succession,—thus his 
male children, and his female children, his nephews, and the 
nephews of his daughters, in natural succcession, an heredit¬ 
ary right, to be enjoyed as long as the earth and moon 
remain, Sri ! Then follows the witnessing, &c., of the 
grant. 

The following is the subsequent history of the Jews in 
Malabar :— 

Until the arrival of the Portuguese (in 1498) they lived on 
the sea-shore ; but when the Portuguese had taken Cranga- 
nore, and they experienced great oppression and persecu¬ 
tions, they left Cranganore, in the five thousand three hun¬ 
dred and twenty-sixth year of the creation, and one thousand 
five hundred and sixty-fifth of the Christian era, and settled 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


391 


at Cochin, where the Raja granted them places to build their 
synagogue anil houses next to the Raja’s palace, in order to 
protect and advance them best. The grant of the ground 
allotted was given in the names of Samuel Casteel, David 
Bale.ha, Ephraim Salah, and Joseph Levi; and their build¬ 
ings were completed in the five thousand three hundred and 
twenty-eighth year of the creation, or the one thousand five 
hundred and sixty-seventh of the Christian era ; but still 
they continued to suffer oppression from the Portuguese, as 
they were not allowed quietly to enjoy their customs and the 
privileges granted them, nor were they suffered to follow 
their trade and go about unmolested. The hardened Po tu- 
guese took whatever was found in their hands ; robbed, 
beat, and drove them away, wherever they were seen ; and 
neither redress, truth, nor justice could be found. And thus 
the Jews underwent the greatest hardships and sorrows until 
the arrival of the Dutch at Cochin, in 1662, when the Jews 
afforded them every assistance they wanted, and obtained a 
livelihood ; but as at that time a disagreement occurred 
between the Dutch and the Cochin Raja, and they killed the 
Raja, the Dutch on that account left Cochin, and went over 
to Ceylon. Since their departure, the Portuguese, driven by 
their spleen, and connected with the native Malabrians, set 
fire to the Jews’ synagogue and houses, robbed and killed 
them on account of their having given the Dutch some pro¬ 
visions ; and as at that time the Jews had a book called 
Sepher Jahshar, containing a detailed account of all the 
Jews’ proceedings ever since they came into Malabar to that 
period,—which book was kept in the synagogue with the 
rest of their rituals,—it was totally burned, so that they were 
driven away in despair, and on the point of sacrificing their 
lives, when fortunately the Dutch again returned to Cochin, 
and in a very few days the town of Cochin was taken pos¬ 
session of by Commodore Peter de Petre and Admiral Van 
Goes, on the eighth of January, 1663, and the eight hundred 
and thirty-ninth of the Malabar era. 

On hearing of the surrender of Cochin, the Jews, over¬ 
joyed at the happy event, returned from the different places 


392 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


they had taken refuge in, and rested again at their own 
places ; repaired the losses sustained ; and were, under the 
guidance of their head and leader Samtob Casteel, praising 
the Almighty for the deliverance they had received, and 
praying him, that under the auspices of the Dutch they may 
obtain further blessings. Ever since, the Jews obtained 
every favor and protection from the Dutch, and the native 
Raja ; and in trading with them, as likewise serving them, 
the Jews obtained a livelihood and every comfort, at Cochin, 
in Malabar. 

In the Christian year 1636, when Gilmer Vosberg gov¬ 
erned Cochin, four merchants arrived from Amsterdam, 
namely, Moses Fereira de Paiwa, Isaac Irgas, Isaac Mookat, 
and Abraham Bort, of the Sepharadim }* and having visited 
the Jews of Cochin, they were glad, and consented to live 
with them. They wrote to Amsterdam whatever they had 
seen and heard of the Jews in Malabar, and desired to get all 
the books that were required ; and when the congregation of 
Amsterdam (on whom may rest the blessing of God) re¬ 
ceived those glad tidings, they immediately sent the books 
of Moses and of the Prophets, prayer-books,f and of the 
laws and other books, then wanted, which proved a great 
rejoicing to the Cochin Jews 5 congregation ; and from that 
time they entered into close intimacy with those of Amster¬ 
dam, and annually corresponded with them, and received 
from them all such books as they required from time to time, 
and sent copies to be printed in Amsterdam ; in return for 
which the Cochin Jews remitted all that was desired from 
them. Thus, the Cochin Jews 5 customs are of the Sephara¬ 
dim. 

Cochin was considered the metropolis of Malabar in India. 
Those called the white Jews are a people coming from the 
ruins of the Holy Land, and they have one synagogue, and 
no more. 


* Sepharadim signifies those of the Spanish custom. 

f A Liturgy was printed expressly for the Cochin Jews, a copy of which 
has been seen by the editor of the “ Oriental Spectator.” 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


S93 


Those called the black Jews are of the natives of Malabar, 
that were in Cranganore and its vicinity, and who of their 
own spontaneous will, joined from the beginning with the 
white Jews ; and of slaves emancipated by the white Jews. 
These, in connexion with each other, formed that people ; 
but the white Jews were never connected with them by in¬ 
termarriages ; nor have they any of the Cohen or Levy 
family among them ; nor have they any of the Levitical 
ceremonies in their synagogues, or any relationship in other 
countries, so that they are a separate nation of themselves in 
Malabar. Still they have the Mosaical Laws (Torah ;) and 
their customs and usages are like those of the white Jews, 
with a few exceptions and differences in their prayers and 
songs, and greatly differing with the manners and proceed¬ 
ings of the common people of the country of Malabar. 

The Jews (white and black,) after having abandoned their 
two synagogues, and habitations at Moottum and Tirtoor, 
during the invasion of Tippo Sultan, are now fixed at 
Cochin, Anjecaimal, Paroor, Chanotto, and Mala ; and the 
total number of white, black, and emancipated Jews in Mala¬ 
bar, is one thousand thirty-nine. 

On the subject of the small number of Jew r s, in Malabar, 
the editor of the “ Oriental Spectator” remarks :— 

This total is considerably smaller than we expected to 
find it. In reference to this point, Mr. Baber says, “ Their 
numbers, at a very early period, were very considerable, but 
owing to intestine feuds, and even wars between the white 
and black Jews, because the former would not allow the 
latter, who were converted slaves, the same privileges as 
themselves ; and extensive emigrations since the downfall of 
the Dutch at Cochin, who invariably treated them well, they 
have been reduced to the number they themselves state.” 

When Dr. Claudius Buchanan visited this singular 
people in 1806 , he made investigations into the character of 
the Hebrew manuscripts which they possessed. He dis¬ 
covered among other remarkable writings, a curious version 
of the New Testament, of which we shall give the account 
in his own words :—“ I had heard that there were one or 


394 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


two translations of the New Testament in their possession, 
but they were studiously kept out of my sight for a con¬ 
siderable time. At last, however, they were produced by 
individuals in a private manner. One of them is written in 
the small rabbinical or Jerusalem character ; the other in a 
large square letter. The history of the former is very in¬ 
teresting. The translator, a learned rabbi, conceived the 
design of making an accurate version of the New Testa¬ 
ment, for the express purpose of confuting it. His style 
is copious and elegant, like that of a master in the lan¬ 
guage, and the translation is in general faithful. It does 
not indeed appear that he wished to pervert the meaning of 
a single sentence ; but, depending on his own abilities and 
renown as a scholar, he hoped to be able to controvert its 
doctrines, and to triumph over it by fair contest in the 
presence of the world. The translation is complete, and 
written with greater freedom and ease towards the end than 
at the beginning. How astonishing it is that an enemy 
should have done this ! That he should have persevered 
resolutely to the end of his work ; not always indeed calmly , 
for there is sometimes a note of execration on the Sacred 
Person who is the subject of it, as if to unburden his mind, 
and ease the conflict of his laboring soul. At the close of 
the Gospels, as if afraid of the converting power of his 
own version, he calls Heaven to witness that ‘he had 
undertaken the work with the professed design of opposing 
the Epicureans by which term he contemptuously desig¬ 
nates the Christians.” Dr. Buchanan states that in almost 
every house he found Hebrew books, printed, or in manu¬ 
script, particularly among the white Jews.* 

There are, according to Dr. Wolff, about fifty Jewish 
families at Bombay, chiefly from Bussorah, Bagdad, Muscat, 
and other parts of Mesopotamia, and partly from Yemen. 
The late Mrs. Wilson, of the Scottish Mission, describes 
some whom she visited as “living in a style of oriental mag¬ 
nificence, which we rarely see even among the rich natives 
of India.” 


* Christian Researches. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


395 


In Egypt, the only places where Jews reside are the 
two principal cities, Alexandria and Cairo. In the former 
city there are about a thousand, of whom one third are 
Europeans, who have gone thither for the purpose of trade. 
There are not many rich men among them ; the wealthiest 
are the sarafs or money-changers. At Cairo there are 
about five thousand, who have ten synagogues, and five 
schools in which the children are taught Arabic and He¬ 
brew. The attendance at each school averages from thirty 
to forty ; but, from the extreme poverty of the parents, the 
pupils are indifferently provided with books, a circumstance 
which greatly obstructs their progress. The Jewish quarter 
is very miserable and unhealthy ; many of the streets are so 
narrow that two persons cannot walk abreast in them ; and 
the atmosphere is filled with noisome odors of the worst 
description. 

In the states of Barbary there are many Jews. In the 
government of Tunis alone, according to Mr. Ewald, the 
missionary, there are upwards of one hundred and fifty 
thousand; of these, forty thousand reside in the capital. 
The Bey has placed over them a governor, who is styled 
Kaid, with power to imprison and inflict other punishments. 
The spiritual concerns of the community are managed by a 
council of five rabbis, of whom the chief is denominated 
Ab Beth Din, i. e. the Father of the House of Judgment. 
They are a laborious class of people, and, in general, very 
poor ; but in most cases they can both speak and write the 
Hebrew language. 

The Jews of Morocco constitute more than the twenty- 
fifth part of the whole population. Their total number is 
stated to be three hundred and forty thousand, viz. :—In 
Fez, nine thousand ; in Rabat, seven thousand ; in Morocco, 
five thousand ; in Mequinez, five thousand ; in Tetuan, four 
thousand two hundred ; in Mogador, four thousand ; in 
Tangier, three thousand, &e. In the seaports they are the 
merchants, artisans, brokers, tradesmen, and interpreters. 
They are almost always employed in transacting political as 
well as commercial affairs with Europeans. Notwithstand- 


896 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


ing this, however, the Moors despise and detest them ; and 
there is no ignominy, no extortion, which they are not sub¬ 
jected to. They are prohibited reading or writing Arabic, 
under the pretence of their not being worthy to understand 
the Koran : they are not allowed to mount a horse, because 
it is too noble an animal for them : they must take off their 
shoes on passing mosques, holy places, and the dwelling of 
the great : they are not allowed to come near a well while a 
Mahometan is drinking out of it; nor to sit down in the 
presence of a Mahometan : they are compelled to be dressed 
in black (this color being considered mean,) and to fill the 
offices of executioner and gravedigger. The children are at 
liberty to insult them, and the lowest of the people may 
strike them; but if a Jew lifts his hand to a Mohometan he 
is punished with death. In many places they must even pay 
enormous taxes for being permitted to w r ear shoes and use 
asses and mules. 

The following are extracts from a work entitled “An 
Appeal in behalf of the Jewish Nation 

“ But while the British statesman freely offers the pledge 
of his nation’s honor, and contributes her w r ealth to the utter 
eradication of slavery ; while England weaves her protecting 
banner over the helpless and the oppressed, both at home 
and abroad ; there yet remains one nation—one remarkable 
race of people, the Jews, towards whom the exercise of 
philanthropy would seem a crime ; whom no eye pities, and 
w hose wretched condition is a stain upon the present age of 
the world, worthy only of the darkness, blindness, and inhu¬ 
manity of the Middle Ages. 

“ I am aware that much of the ill feeling of former times 
against this hapless nation has been greatly effaced from 
English hearts, but much prejudice still exists even in en¬ 
lightened England. In other countries of Europe this feel¬ 
ing amounts to positive hatred ; but be it remembered, the 
Christian world despises this people for vices w'hich have 
been fostered by itself; and it hates them for crimes which 
are the effects of its own heartless policy. Let not some 
arch-priest or Levite of selfishness passing by on the other 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


397 


side tell me that the curse of the Most High is on the Jewish 
race, and that to help them would be to contravene the 
purposes of God’s providence. 

“ I was connected with Mogadore and other parts of the 
dominions of Morocco for upwards of five years, and had 
thus an opportunity of becoming intimately acquainted with 
the state of the very large section of the Jewish people who 
are spread through its various towns. They are a very fine 
race, and are partly the descendants of those Jews who 
were banished by the Christian rulers of Europe from their 
several dominions, and forced to take refuge in the adjacent 
Mohammedan countries, where they enjoyed at least a pre¬ 
carious protection, preferable to the state of outlawry, in 
which they only possessed their lives in fear and trembling 
in Christian Europe.” 

“ One of the most diabolical means of oppression which 
is brought to bear on this condemned race, but of which for¬ 
tunately the instances are comparatively few, arises prima¬ 
rily from the contempt with which they are regarded ; their 
evidence being esteemed utterly worthless, before the tribu¬ 
nal of the caadi against a Moslem, while the evidence of 
two Moslem witnesses, (though often false,) is sufficient to 
convict a Jew, and subject him to the penalty of the grossest 
crimes. It will easily be perceived how this unlimited 
power can be applied to the purposes of avarice, sensuality, 
and religious bigotry, when taken in connexion with the 
fact, that nothing more is required to make a Jew or Chris¬ 
tian a Mohammedan by their law, than the deposition of two 
witnesses to the simple circumstance of their having pro¬ 
nounced the words, “ There is no God but God, and Mo¬ 
hammed is the apostle of God.” Against this testimony the 
protestations of the Jews are vain, and the penalty of recan¬ 
tation is burning at the staked Although the instances, as I 
before mentioned, are few, this is too great a power not to 
be much too frequently used for the worst purposes ; some¬ 
times the threat is sufficient to gain the proposed end, but if 
that fails, false witnesses are employed, when the victim, 
who is generally wealthy, purchases immunity at a ruinous 
34 



398 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


price, and the circumstance is hushed up ; or if poor, which 
is seldom, he is obliged to conform to his new faith, hated 
by his own people, and despised and always suspected by 
his adopted brethren. 

“ Some cases are, however, attended by circumstances of 
a graver nature, and have a more tragical ending ; one of 
them I will narrate, which took place w hile I was in that 
country, and with which I was therefore well acquainted. 
The individual sufferer was an interesting young Jewess of 
respectable family, residing at Tangier, and much is it to be 
regretted that our consul-general had not influence, or if he 
did possess any that he did not exert it, to avert the horrid 
catastrophe. This young creature was summoned before 
the tribunal of the caadi, by two Moors, who deposed to her 
having pronounced their confession of faith. This, how¬ 
ever, she utterly denied, but, as before shown, in vain, and 
the caadi had no alternative, even had he possessed the in¬ 
clination, but to decree her conformity to Islamism on pain 
of death. 

“ I was never able to obtain correct information as to 
whether the witnesses were actuated by sinister motives, or 
whether the poor girl really did repeat the fatal words in 
jest. There is, doubtless, much friendly intercourse exist¬ 
ing between the Jews and the better disposed Moors, in 
which gossip and jesting are sometimes carried beyond the 
verge of safety, considering the relative position of the 
parties. Again, in a scripture language like the Arabic, in 
which the name of God so constantly occurs, there are many 
ejaculations repeatedly uttered by the Jews which approach 
very near to this formula, and might, therefore, be mistaken 
for it. Be this as it may, the affair is of too serious a nature 
to be passed over lightly by the Jewish community, who at 
least deserve the credit of uniting for mutual protection, 
where their national and religious integrity are concerned, 
and, consequently, every exertion was made, but unsuccess¬ 
fully, by influence and money, to crush it in the bud. It had, 
however, become too public not to reach the ears of Mulai 
Abderahman, to whose decision it was therefore referred, 
and the parties repaired to Fez for the purpose. 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


399 


“Whatever might have influenced her accusers, there 
could be no doubt of the motive of the Sultan in enforcing 
the decree, which was, to obtain another plaything for his 
harem ; in fact, so well known was his character in this 
respect, that from the moment of her being ordered to his 
presence, no one expected any other result—for few possibly 
imagined, nor did the Sultan himself, that she would 
have courage to brave the alternative rather than abandon 
the faith of her fathers. Such, however, was the case. She 
was first sent to the Serail, where every means w ere employed 
to shake her constancy ; threats, blandishments, and the 
most brilliant promises were tried by turns, and were equally 
unsuccessful. Even her relations were allowed to see her, 
to endeavor by their persuasions to divert her from her res¬ 
olution ; but with a firmness which against such assaults 
could have been the effect only of the deepest conviction, 
this young and noble creature held fast her integrity, and 
calmly chose a horrible though honorable death, to the en¬ 
joyment of an ignominious existence of shame and infamy. 

“ The Jews came forward with offers of immense sums 
of money to save her, but her fate was irrevocably decided, 
and the only mercy the baffled tyrant could afford his young 
and innocent victim was, to allow of her being decapitated 
instead of being burnt alive. I had an account of the clos¬ 
ing scene from an eye-witness, who was one of the guards 
at the execution, and although, as a body, there is nowhere 
a more dissolute set of soldiery than the Morocco Moors, 
yet he confessed to me that many of his vice-hardened com¬ 
panions could not restrain their tears, and that he himself 
could not look with dry eyes on a sight of such cold-blooded 
atrocity. This beautiful young creature was led out to 
w here a pile ready for firing had been raised for her last 
couch :—her long dark hair flowing dishevelled over her 
shoulders, she looked around in vain for a heart and hand 
that could succor, though so many eyes pitied her : for the 
last time she was offered—with the executioner and the pyre 
in all their terror before her—her life, on condition of being 
false to her God :—she only asked for a few minutes for 


400 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


prayer, after which her throat was cut by the executioner, 
according to the barbarous custom of the country, and her 
body consumed on the fire!! 

“ Fellow-countrymen! this is no Moorish romance, strained 
out of a heated imagination, to gratify the morbid taste of 
the fancy-cloyed novel reader ;—there is here no painting or 
exaggeration to excite false sympathy, but a simple tale of 
naked, unvarnished, thrilling truth ; and I appeal to you 
whether such things ought to be in the present age—I appeal 
to you whether such things ought to be allowed in a country 
where British influence can be brought to bear in the most 
remote manner ; how much more, in a country close to our 
shores, and where it ought to be paramount! ‘We are 
verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the 
anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not 
hear.’ 55 

Mr. Mitford’s estimate of the Jewish character, and ol 
the advantages which the country would derive from taking 
those measures for the benefit of the children of Abraham 
which he advocates, is thus :— 

“ I have alluded more particularly, in this imperfect 
sketch, to the Jews of Morocco, because they are essentially 
the most ill-used, and because—although I have had oppor¬ 
tunities of seeing much of this people in that country, as 
well as in Turkey, Syria, Palestine, India, and Arabia—I 
consider them physically and intellectually as the finest type 
of the race, and their apparent moral degradation is chiefly 
superficial, the consequence of the state of oppression which 
has been weighing on them for nearly two thousand years. 

“ Is it not, indeed, surprising, that after the ordeal they 
have undergone, they should still retain either moral worth 
or physical identity ; yet notwithstanding this, which would 
have utterly annihilated any race not equally under the care 
of Providence, there are still among them men of latent 
talent and capability for the highest purposes, and which 
only require directing into the right channels to produce the 
most brilliant results. They possess in an eminent degree 
the virtues of fortitude and perseverance, without which, 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


401 


indeed, they could scarcely have existed individually or held 
together as a nation. Their aspirations after better things 
have been quelled, their spirits bowed to the very dust, and 
their every feeling embittered under the thraldom of Mo¬ 
hammedan despotism, the persecution of the powers of 
Christendom, and the insults of the world at large. But 
relieved from these fetters, the intrinsic nobility of their 
nature would be drawn forth, and springing with their char¬ 
acteristic buoyancy from the sufferings of ages, they would 
reach and maintain a high rank among the nations of the 
earth.” 

From the best information, it would appear that there are 
about fifty thousand Jews in the United States. From 
twelve to thirteen thousand of this number are supposed to 
reside in the city of New York ; four thousand in Phila¬ 
delphia; one thousand in Baltimore; and the rest are dis¬ 
tributed through the Union as pedlars, or wandering mer¬ 
chants, passing from place to place, as they may be invited 
by facilities of trade. A large body of Jews appear to be 
settled in South Carolina ; in Charleston they have a very 
showy synagogue, and, what is a little remarkable, they 
have a fine organ, and have made and allowed some im¬ 
portant changes in their former belief. 

In all our western cities, such as Buffalo, Pittsburg, 
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Louisville, and St. Louis, as also in 
New Orleans, considerable numbers of Israelites are found, 
and for the most part are engaged in conducting the barter 
business along our western rivers. 

And now, let us briefly allude to the state of public sen¬ 
timent here in relation to the cause of the Jewish restora¬ 
tion ; you may rely upon it, there is an increasing solici¬ 
tude throughout our Protestant Christian Society, and this 
seems to be the work of the Holy One. I occasionally 
hear of clergymen of different denominations, without any 
concert of action, preaching on this subject to their respec¬ 
tive charges. Societies are springing up in various parts 
of the country, avowedly in favor of the Jews, and much 
greater interest than I have ever seen, is taken.in the study 
of prophecy. 34* 


402 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


There is also a Society in New York, chartered many 
years ago, under the name and title of the American Society 
for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews. Their eighteenth 
annual report was published in May, 1842. The Rev. Dr. 
Brownlee has been President of it for several years ; Rev. 
Dr. Alexander Proudfit, and eleven other distinguished men, 
are Vice Presidents ; Dr. Professor Proudfit, Secretary for 
Foreign Correspondence ; A. M. Burrel, Esq., Recording 
Secretary ; and Thomas S. Shepard, Esq., Treasurer ; with 
twenty directors. 

There are a good many in Jamaica. In Kingston, where 
alone their number is stated to be about three thousand, 
they have two synagogues. In Spanish Town there are 
from twelve to fifteen hundred, and one synagogue. They 
are supposed to have been attracted to that island by the 
circumstance that they could by law hold lands there, which 
they could not formerly do in other Christian countries. 
Many of them are rich, and, on that account, have con¬ 
siderable influence in the community. 


CHAPTER XIX. 

Missions to the Jews—Societies for their Conversion in the Prussian 
Dominions—Great Success—Converted Jew Professors—Dr. Neander 
—London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews—Labors 
of the Society—Schools in Posen—Mission and Church at Jerusalem— 
Church of Scotland—Deputation to Palestine—Their Report to General 
Assembly—Prospects—Concluding Remarks. 

We have now to give a sketch of the means, which 
have been lately adopted, to bring the ancient people of 
God to the faith of the Gospel. We have already stated, 
that a society was formed in Germany, during the last 
century, for the express purpose of the conversion of the 
Jews ; and that this institution perished for want of funds 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


403 


about the time of the French Revolution. Throughout 
the period which elapsed between its formation and ex¬ 
tinction, there was no effort of a similar kind made in any 
other Christian country. But, within the last fifty years, 
there has been a wonderful revival of religion in the Pro¬ 
testant churches ; and a far more deep and pervading 
sense of their obligation to promote, by every means in 
their power, the extension of the Redeemer’s kingdom 
Never has there been such general and wide-spread en¬ 
deavors to advance the glory of God, by the salvation 
of the souls of men. That apathy in the cause of missions 
to the Heathen, which so long disgraced the Protestant 
churches, and called forth the strong and not unmerited 
condemnation of the pious and amiable Fenelon, has now 
been, we trust forever, renounced ; and vigorous efforts 
have been made to diffuse the knowledge of the Chris¬ 
tian religion among every Pagan nation of the globe. It 
was not to be expected that Christians would feel a great 
anxiety about the spiritual welfare of the Heathen, without, 
at the same time, beginning to take a deep interest in the 
condition of the Jews ; Avho, though superior to idolaters in 
knowledge of the only true God, were equally ignorant with 
them of Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. “They forget,” 
says the great and good Archbishop Leighton, “ a main part 
of the church’s glory, who pray not daily for the conversion 
of the Jews.” Unquestionably, in all ages of the church, 
those who truly felt the power of the Gospel in their own 
hearts, and knew that “ the only name given under heaven, 
whereby we must be saved,” was one at which the Hebrew 
scoffed with disdain, would, in their private supplications, 
often breathe a prayer similar to that which is contained in 
the following quaint but withal beautiful and devotional 
lines of George Herbert : 

lt Poor nation, whose sweet sap and juice 
Our scions have purloined and left you dry : 

Whose streams we got by the apostle’s sluice, 

And use in baptism, while ye pine and die : 


404 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Who, by not keeping once became a debtor, 

And now by keeping lose a better. 

“ O that my prayers! mine, alas ! 

O that some angel might a trumpet sound, 

At which the church, falling upon her face, 

Should cry so loud, until the trump were drown’d, 

And by that cry of her dear Lord obtain 
That your sweet sap might come again. 

But within the present century, pious men, in various 
countries of Europe, began to perceive that there was need, 
not merely of devout and unremitted supplications at the 
throne of grace, but likewise of vigorous and active efforts to 
promote a cause so holy and evangelical, as that of the con¬ 
version of the Jews. 

On the continent of Europe, societies for the conversion 
of the Jews have been formed at Berlin, at Bremerlehe, at 
Strasburg, at Basle, at Posen, at Breslau, at Frankfort, on 
the Maine, at Dantsic, at Konigsberg, at Toulouse, at 
Dresden, and many other places. These societies have 
been eminently prosperous ; but the London Society, the 
first in date, is likewise the first in its magnitude and suc¬ 
cesses. This admirable Association, long buffeted by the 
gales of adverse fortune, seems now fairly harbored in pub¬ 
lic opinion ; c the entire contributions,* says their Report of 
March, 1838, c received during the past year, have amounted 
to the sum of 19,054/. 85. Sd., being an increase of 4,523/. 
17s. 9 d. upon the receipts of the preceding year.’ Doubtless 
their future exertions will be commensurate with their 
means, and Providence will bless with a larger harvest their 
increased expenditure and toil. But they have been ‘ faith¬ 
ful over a few things,’ and wrought great effects in the 
infancy of their fortunes. They have circulated in the last 
year, besides tracts, Pentateuchs, and other works in great 
number, nearly four thousand copies of the Old Testament 
in Hebrew ; they have twenty-three stations in Europe, and 
the East ; forty-nine missionaries and agents, twenty-four of 
whom are Jewish converts ; and ten schools, two in London, 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


405 


and eight in the duchy of Posen. Although the amount of 
conversions, relatively to the actual numbers of Israel, has 
not been large, the spies have brought back a good account 
of the land ; the sample of its fruit may rival the grapes of 
Eshcol, and stimulate the Church of England to rise and 
take possession. In almost every considerable town of Ger¬ 
many there are to be found some baptized Jews ; we learn 
by official accounts from Silesia, that, between 1820 and 
1834, four hundred and fifty-five persons were added to the 
Church ; in East and West Prussia, two hundred and thirty- 
four in the same time ; and from 1830 to 1837, in Berlin 
alone, no less than three hundred and twenty-six. In Po¬ 
land, the average amount of baptisms during the last ten 
years has been about fifteen annually, exclusive of the great 
number baptized by the Romanists, to whom the proselytes 
are attracted by the hope and assurance of temporal support 
in the event of their conversion. At the Hebrew Episcopal 
chapel in London, seven adult converts, and three children, 
were baptized last year, making a total thereby of two hun¬ 
dred and forty-six baptisms from the commencement, eighty- 
five of whom were adults ; and among the converts in this 
country may be reckoned four synagogue-readers, of whom 
two have lately received orders in the Church of England ; 
and six others who have taken part in its apostolical minis¬ 
try.* This is no sudden or uncertain progress; it is no re¬ 
production of the same Jew, like the annual proselyte of 
Rome at the feast of St. Peter, who is kept, as a dog at the 
Grotto del Cane, to be victimized for the edification of the 
curious ; a new spur has been given to the advance and es¬ 
tablishment of the faith among them, and conversions are 
greatly on the increase ; c there is rarely an instance, 5 says 
our experienced informant, c of a return to Judaism. And 


* Very many Jews have been baptized elsewhere, even in London, but 
we have no means of ascertaining the number. Mr. Joseph, himself a 
convert, has in the course of a few years baptized twenty individuals at 
Liverpool; baptisms have also occurred in Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, 
Cheltenham, York, Hull, &c. 



406 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


though some fall into sin, and misbehave themselves, their 
profession of Christianity is lasting, and, I believe, sincere. 

“ It is a very important feature in the generality of these 
conversions, that they have taken place among persons of 
cultivated understandings and literary attainments. We are 
not to be told that those excellent societies have operated 
with success on ignorance and poverty, purchasing the one, 
and persuading the other, where either necessity or incapac¬ 
ity lay passive before them. These Jewish converts, like 
their prototype, St. Paul, brought up at the feet of their 
Gamaliels in all the learning and wisdom of the Hebrews, 
now ‘preach the faith which once they destroyed. } We 
have already mentioned that several have become ministers 
of the Church of England ; on the Continent we find many 
among the Lutheran and Reformed clergy ; they have also 
their physicians, lawyers, head and assistant masters of the 
German Gymnasia ; there are three professors and two 
lecturers, formerly Jews, in the University of Breslau ; five 
professors in Halle ; in Petersburg!], a professor of medi¬ 
cine ; in Warsaw, Dr. Leo, a convert, is one of the most 
celebrated physicians; in Erlangen, Dr. Stahl ; and in Ber¬ 
lin, Dr. Neander, the great church historian, fully proves 
that poverty of intellect is not an indispensable preliminary 
to Jewish conversion.” 

The following remarks, which appeared in the “ London 
Morning Herald ” on the day after the late Anniversary, are 
deserving of notice :— 

“ The interesting province of missionary labor occupied 
by the religious Society that met yesterday in Exeter Hall 
induces us to make a very few remarks. The London 
Society for promoting Christianity amongst, the Jews is the 
only Society in this country that embraces this increasingly- 
iinportant office. This Institution seems to grow in prosper¬ 
ity in proportion to the nearness of the accomplishment of 
those stupendous destinies which are enfolded in the bosoms 
and transparent in every chapter of the history of the Jews. 
It renews its youth like the eagle. The deep and extending 
interest felt on both sides in the condition and claims of the 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


407 


ancient people of God, the sympathy with their sufferings 
that has been recently poured forth from cabinets and coun¬ 
cils, the deputations that have visited long-oppressed and 
debased Palestine, and the immense amount of patient in¬ 
quiry and popular illustration which have been brought to 
bear on the elucidation of the apocalyptic references to the 
depth of their degradation and the grandeur of their restora¬ 
tion, all indicate an impulse from on high—the earliest dawn 
of that remarkable morn, in the splendor of which all earth’s 
scattered lights are speedily to be lost. We cannot help re¬ 
peating what has been said and sung a hundred times—every 
Jew is a miracle. The past and the future are legible on 
that sharp-featured man. Like the Goddess of Fame de¬ 
picted by the poet, he wears a robe painted all over with 
wonderful events and manifold experiences. He is signifi¬ 
cant of all strange and mysterious facts, and prophetic of all 
bright and beautiful futurities. He is the compend of eccle¬ 
siastical history. Sense sees in a Jew a dirty, mean wor¬ 
shipper of Mammon. Faith sees in him a knot of roots and 
relationships, whose fruitage and flower is Jerusalem in its 
millennial repose, and Christianity in its fragrant and fade¬ 
less expansion. 

- u His substance is not here, 

For what you see is but the smallest part 
And least proportion of humanity ; 

But were the whole frame here, 

It is of such a spacious lofty pitch, 

Your roof were not sufficient to contain it.” 

While there is still felt in almost every Christian breast an 
instinctive line or sense of separation between the Jew and 
the Gentile, and an indisposition as great on the one side as 
on the other, to meet and mingle in the social and lasting 
relations of human life—proofs too palpable to be mistaken 
that the anathema denounced, or rather foretold on Calvary, 
still lowers over the long-doomed race—there is at the same 
time a tender and earnest anxiety, where there was only 
apathy, toward the civil, municipal, and spiritual improve- 



40S 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


ment of the Jewish population, as new and peculiar to the 
present age as it is worthy of a people whose Savior was a 
Jew, according to the flesh—whose Bible is the composition 
of Jews, and whose faith is set forth in symbols and signs 
that derived their origin from the rites and customs of the 
children of Abraham. They enriched us while they impov¬ 
erished themselves. Their fall was our rise. Nor is it 
unworthy of notice in the columns of a journal that advo¬ 
cates the altar and the throne, the purity of the one and the 
stability of the other, to recal to the recollection of its read¬ 
ers, in referring to the present striking prospects of the 
Jewish nation, that ‘beginning at Jerusalem ’ lies in the 
very heart of that hallowed commission on which the Mis¬ 
sionary Societies build their claims. ; 

“ It is on these grounds we feel pleasure in referring to the 
Anniversary Meeting of the Jews’ Society. It began amid 
trials, it grew up in difficulties, but now, like the vine that 
came out of Egypt, it sends forth its branches from the 
Thames to the Jordan, and receives a countenance and a 
support which alone are signs of the age in which it takes a 
part. The most pleasing and at the same time impressive 
fact in the history of its proceedings was the appointment of 
Dr. Alexander as Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem. A chief 
Christian minister, a converted Jew, and once a follower of 
the tradition of the fathers, presides over the Christian 
clergy and laity in the city of vision, respecting which 
glorious things are spoken, and over which a glory is yet to 
shine more brilliant than the shechina which burned on the 
altar of Solomon, and from which, in all probability, those 
kindling rays are to shoot forth towards the east and the 
west, the north and the south, which are appointed, in the 
high purposes of God, to light up the imperishable splendor 
of an endless day.” 

Dr. Tholuck, of Halle, affirmed, that more proselytes from 
Judaism have been made within the last twenty years than 
since the first ages of the church. He bears ample testi¬ 
mony to the great effects which he has himself witnessed in 
Breslau, his native place. The city of Berlin alone is said 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


409 


to contain nearly a thousand resident converted Jews, many 
of whom are known to be decidedly pious. 

The Rev. A. S. Thelwell, who has been for six years 
missionary among the Jews, says thus : “ I am well aware 
that an impression prevails to a great extent among Chris¬ 
tians, that, as to our labors for the Jews, we are to expect 
nothing but bitter disappointment, instances of real conver¬ 
sions rarely occurring, if they be not entirely wanting. I 
must confess, in the face of heaven and earth, that this is not 
the case ; and that if we really knew the Jews, there is no 
more reason for desponding in working amongst them, nor 
in expecting true conversions to God, than there is among 
any other people on the face of the earth : in this respect, 
the hearts of all are alike. I can assure my friends of the 
great delight that I have experienced in the personal knowl¬ 
edge, I might say, Christian intimacy, which I had with 
twelve or fourteen individuals, members of the house of 
Israel, who were truly converted (if any one can speak with 
assurance on the subject) to the Gospel of Christ. I can 
testify that they were believers in the Lord Jesus Christ; 
and that I never beheld brighter instances of the power of 
Divine grace than among those sons and daughters of Abra¬ 
ham. Were I at liberty to enlarge on this subject, I could 
tell that which would affect every Christian heart, as regards 
the spiritual communion I had with these converted persons. 
In another family that I met with at Amsterdam, there were 
six individuals, three sons and three daughters of Abraham, 
with whom I enjoyed delightful Christian intercourse ; and I 
can testify that, if ever I had on earth a foretaste of heaven, 
if ever I enjoyed genuine spiritual communion of the very 
highest order, it was amongst those converted Jews ; two of 
whom are now in heaven, rejoicing before the throne of 
God and the Lamb.” He farther says, cc Should any of my 
brethren have experienced much disappointment,—and this 
may be the case with some,—as for myself I must say, I 
have met with less among the Jews than the Gentiles,—I 
have no such complaints to make, but to give thanks to God, 
that He hath proved to me that His Gospel, on the heart of 
a Jew, is the power of God to his salvation.” 

35 


410 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


While the members of the English church have been vig¬ 
orously exerting themselves in the cause of God’s ancient 
people, those of the Scottish Establishment have not been 
idle. The General Assembly, in 1338, appointed a “ Com¬ 
mittee for Promoting Christianity among the Jews,” and in 
March, 1839, the committee came to the resolution of send¬ 
ing a deputation to Palestine, to inquire into the state of the 
Jews there. This deputation consisted of the Rev. Dr. 
Black, Professor of Divinity in Marischal College, Aber¬ 
deen ; the Rev. Dr. Keith, minister of St. Cyrus, (author 
of various well known works ;) the Rev. R. M. M’Cheyne, 
of St. Peter’s, Dundee ; and the Rev. A. A. Bonar, of 
Collace. These gentlemen sailed from London on the fourth 
of April, 1839, having been amply supplied with letters of 
introduction to various ambassadors, consuls, merchants, 
and other persons who were likely to promote the objects of 
the deputation. They made known their progress from 
time to time in a series of most interesting letters, from the 
various places they visited, as Paris and many other large 
cities in France, Gibraltar, Italy, Egypt, the Holy City and 
many other places in the Holy Land. They returned by 
way of Turkey, Moldavia, Walachia, Austria, Poland, 
Prussia, Germany, and Hamburgh, to their native land. 

The following are brief extracts from their report:— 

“ There is a law in our nature, according to which the sight 
of the object calls forth, in the most vivid manner, the emo¬ 
tion of the heart. Our blessed Lord himself evidently 
shared with us in this sinless and amiable infirmity. When 
he came near the gate of Nain, and saw the widowed mother 
following the bier of her only son, he had compassion on 
her, and said unto her, c Weep not.’ And again, ‘ when he 
saw the multitude of Galilee, he had compassion on them.’ 
The sight of the object affected his heart, and drew forth 
the tender feelings that were treasured there. 

“ It was exactly in accordance with this law of our 
nature, that the Committee of our Church for the Conver¬ 
sion of the Jews came to the resolution, in March, 1339, of 
sending out four of their brethren, to go and see what was 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


411 


the real condition of the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 
The information received, by means of correspondence and 
printed documents, had produced a general and decided 
impression of interest in behalf of the Jews. Still it was 
felt that, if ministers of our own church were sent out upon 
a mission of kindness and inquiry to the various countries 
where the Jews reside, they would return, not only with 
fuller and more accurate information, but also with hearts 
kindled into a flame of holy compassion by the actual sight 
of the dry bones of Israel, in the open valley, very many 
and very dry. 

“ By the good hand of our God upon us, this interesting 
mission has been accomplished. And now, that we have 
been brought in safety back to our beloved land, and are 
permitted to stand once more in the venerable assembly of 
our church, it is our hearts’ desire and prayer, that the an¬ 
ticipations with which we were sent out may be fully real¬ 
ized. We do feel that a vast weight of responsibility lies 
upon those of us who have been privileged to visit the many 
thousands of Israel—to see them wandering as strangers on 
the mountains of Judah—and spreading forth their hands in 
the synagogues of Poland. Our hearts do truly burn within 
us, not only to lay before the church the result of our in¬ 
quiries, but to convey to all the vivid impressions of com¬ 
passion to Israel which we have ourselves received. 

<c Could we but carry our fathers and brethren, and the 
Christian people of Scotland, through the scenes which we 
have witnessed,—could we communicate the feelings with 
which we beheld the Jews praying beside the ruined wall of 
the temple of Jerusalem, or the feelings with which we 
witnessed the extravagant devotion in the synagogues of 
Galilee, or the feelings with which we walked through the 
streets of Brody, where scarcely any but the bearded sons 
of Abraham are to be seen ;—above all, could we make 
known, as vividly as we have seen, the thousand ways in 
which they go about to establish their own righteousness— 
praying to the dead, making pilgrimage to Jerusalem, wear¬ 
ing phylacteries, killing the capora, or dancing with the law 


412 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


—we are quite sure that there would he but one thrill of 
sympathetic interest felt throughout the whole church ; and 
one fervent effectual prayer would arise from all the praying 
families in Scotland— c Oh that the salvation of Israel were 
come out of Zion! ’ ” 

The Report contained a dense statement of the information 
collected by the deputation, regarding the present state of 
the Jews, and a recommendation of various stations as 
suitable for missionary exertions. These were, Saphet in 
Galilee, Jassy, or Bucharest, Hungary, Posen, Smyrna, 
Constantinople, Leghorn, and Gibraltar. 1. Saphet, from 
its central situation and healthy climate, is well adapted to 
be the head-quarters of a mission ; which might embrace, in 
its sphere of operations, the north, as the English mission at 
Jerusalem does the south of the Holy Land.* 2. Jassy 
seems preferable to Bucharest as a station, because the num¬ 
ber of Jewish inhabitants is nearly seven times greater. It 
is believed that, though any direct effort for the reformation 
of the members of the Greek Church would be put down by 
the Moldavian government, it would not object to labors for 
the conversion of the seed of Abraham. 3. There is no 
missionary among the large Hebrew population of Hungary, 
amounting to two hundred and fifty or three hundred thou¬ 
sand, so that this ample field is quite unoccupied. 4. As 
there are no fewer than seventy-three thousand Israelites in 
Posen, even the energetic exertions of the three missionaries, 
employed by the London Society, must leave abundance of 
room for the operations of the Scottish Church. 5. At 
Smyrna there is one laborer at present, but he is a layman. 
The principal obstacles to be encountered in this city, are, 
the difficulty of supporting converts, and the persecution 


* Although, to use the words of the Deputation, the '‘Holy Land 
presents the most attractive and the most important field for missionary 
operations among the Jews/’ the qualifications necessary for an effective 
laborer there, as stated by Mr. JNicolayson, are great, since such a person 
would require to be acquainted with the Hebrew, Arabic, German, Span¬ 
ish, and Italian languages, beside being well versed in prophecy, and in 
raobinical learning. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


413 


which the Jewish body have power from the government to 
raise against those of their brethren who embrace Chris¬ 
tianity. 6. At Constantinople there are two missionaries, 
the one from England and the other from America ; but the 
very large Israelite population, amounting to eighty thou¬ 
sand, would require a greater number of laborers. The 
Karaites would, it is believed, afford a good prospect of 
success to a zealous missionary ; though, in the Turkish 
capital, the same obstacles might be felt as at Smyrna. 7. 
The influence of the Jews with the authorities at Leghorn 
might possibly put an end to all labors attempted in that 
city. The number of Scottish residents there seems to call 
for the appointment of a Presbyterian chaplain ; and it 
occurred to the deputation that, in such a case, he might 
combine with his other duties that of preaching to the Jews, 
though aware of the inexpediency, in general, of uniting 
the two departments of ministerial exertion. 8. Gibraltar 
would present an important centre of missionary operations, 
on account of its vicinity to the coast of Barbary, of which 
all the towns contain a considerable proportion of Israelites. 
Although Austrian Poland, from the number of Jews which 
it contains, is a scene of great interest to the true friend of 
Israel, all present efforts in that quarter are hopeless, on 
account of the determined opposition of the government, 
which does not allow any one either to preach or distribute 
tracts among the inhabitants, whether adherents of Popery 
or Judaism. 

As the deputation particularly recommended Jassy, Pesth, 
and the northern section of Palestine as stations, these will 
be first occupied by the General Assembly’s missionaries. 
“ The three positions,” as the Committee remark, “ would 
form a suitable chain of posts in this holy warfare.” On 
the 11th of March, 1841, a day much to be remembered, the 
Rev. Daniel Edward, B. D., was ordained as a missionary 
to the Jews, by the Presbytery of Edinburgh, in St. George’s 
Church. The customary services were conducted by Mr. 
Candlish. The destination of Mr. Edward is Jassy, and a 
coadjutor has been appointed to him in the person of Mr. 

35* 


414 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Herman Philip, a convert from Judaism, who has been 
under the eye of the Committee for some time. The two 
laborers have left Britain for the scene of their pious exer¬ 
tions. The Rev. John Duncan, LL. D., formerly minister 
of Milton Church, Glasgow, and one of the most profound 
oriental scholars living, has also been set apart as a mission¬ 
ary to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He is to pro¬ 
ceed in a few months to Pesth, accompanied by two students. 
May He, without whose blessing all human efforts are vain, 
abundantly prosper the labors of those who leave home and 
friends to proclaim the Gospel to the benighted seed of 
Abraham! * 

It is gratifying to observe that the interest in the spiritual 
welfare of Israel, which extensively pervaded the members 
of the Church of Scotland, and occasioned the movement of 
the General Assembly, has by no means diminished, but, on 
the contrary, increased of late, as is testified by the sub¬ 
scriptions and collections'! which have been sent in to the 
Committee. There is every reason to believe that this feel¬ 
ing will continue to gain ground ; and that the members of 
the Established Church will make vigorous exertions for the 
support of the Assembly’s latest, but not least, important 
scheme. When they remember how little it could have 
been expected, at the time of Dr. Duff’s sailing to India, 
eleven years ago, that the name of that honored minister 
would now be classed with those of Schwartz, Martyn, and 
Carey,—and that flourishing missions would be established 
at each of the three presidencies, which have already been 
the means of much good, and promise to be the instruments 
of a far greater amount of benefit in future,—they will not 


* We believe that several individuals are in training for the honorable 
office of missionaries to the Jews. A gentleman in Glasgow has relin¬ 
quished a thriving business to devote himself to the work. 

t The most interesting of these collections is that from the parish of 
Blairgowrie, where a revival of religion has testified its genuineness by 
the contributing of sixty pounds ten shillings among the poor people to 
the support of the first Jewish missionary. 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


415 


look with despondency to the results of their efforts in the 
cause of God’s ancient people.* 

We have thus traced the History of the Jews from the 
Babylonish Captivity to the present time. For nearly 
twenty-five centuries they have been without a king, a 
priesthood, or a country, wanderers upon the face of the 
earth, forming, in the words of Maclaurin, “ the most miser¬ 
able spectacle that ever the sun saw j ” yet, in spite of cir¬ 
cumstances which tended to amalgamate them with other 
portions of the great human family, they have preserved 
their distinct individuality ; they have been “ intermingled 
with all nations, but united with none.” f While the phi¬ 
losopher may speculate upon the causes which have pro¬ 
duced this remarkable phenomenon, the Christian will recog¬ 
nize in it the hand of God fulfilling his own words, “The 
people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among 
the nations.” During the whole of the period we have indi¬ 
cated, they have been God’s “ witnesses,” not as before the 
advent of the Messiah, by testifying the unity of Jehovah in 
opposition to the polytheism of other nations ; but, by attest¬ 
ing, in their own rejection and dispersion, the anger of the 
Lord against the unbelieving, and the truth of the prophecies 
delivered of old. Their past and present state thus fur¬ 
nishes to Christians the means of at once perceiving their 
own responsibilities, and repelling the cavils of infidels. 

During those twenty-five centuries the Jews have been 
for the most part a despised and persecuted race. 

Although the Jews have conferred such benefits on civil- 
ization in general by their studies, at a time when the 


* An Address to the Jewish people from the Church of Scotland, signed 
by the Moderator, Dr. Gordon, has just been published. 

f u Amazing race ! deprived of land and laws, 

A general language and a public cause j 
With a religion none can now obey, 

With a reproach that none can take away : 

A people still, whose common ties are gone ; 

Who, mixed with every race, are lost in none.”— Crabbe. 




416 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


Greek language and its whole valuable literature lay buried 
to the Western nations, the Hebrews were reading in their 
own language several works of Aristotle, Plato, Ptolemy, 
Apollonious, Hippocrates, Galen, and Euclid, derived from 
the Arabic of the Moors, who had conveyed them from 
Greece and Egypt, and in common with these they wrote 
upon them dissertations and controversial arguments. Hence 
the old classics were actively disseminated among the Latin 
colleges of Christendom. However, it is to be observed, 
that neither by Jews nor Arabs were the Greek poets and 
historians read. The genius of Homer, Thucydides, and 
Xenophon, would find no sympathy in an Oriental constitu¬ 
tion of mind, or idea of political government. Pure science 
has in all ages thriven well beneath a despot; but not so the 
“Song of Harmodius,” or the narrative of the “Ten Thou¬ 
sand. 

Of mathematics, the Jews held the principal chairs in the 
Mohammedan colleges of Cordova and Seville ; but, unlike 
the latter people, they brought themselves into contact with 
Christian society, and spreading themselves into vaiious 
countries, they taught the geometry, the algebra, the logic, 
and the chemistry of Spain in the Universities of Oxford and 
Paris, while Christian students from all parts of Europe 
repaired to Andalusia for such instruction. 

And then astronomy, the Chaldean science. In this thev 
were teachers of the Moors. When the Gaonim left the 
Euphrates for the Guadalquivir, or Moses bar Maimon 
removed thence to Cairo, each of these Jews had as bright a 
firmament to survey, “with all its numbered stars,” as had 
their prophet Daniel in Babylon, where he was “ master of 
the astrologers and Chaldeans,” with the tower of Nimrod 
for his observatory. That in such climates, where the 
planets, brimful of brilliance, seem running over with ex¬ 
cess, the Jews could neglect their contemplation, is an 
incredible supposition, and false in fact :—“ God said, Let 
them be for signs and for seasons 5 ” this is found in the first 
page of the Hebrew Scriptures ; and we are assured by 
themselves that at no time have they neglected the admoni- 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


417 


tion. Hereditary astronomers, they pretended to hold tra¬ 
ditional secrets brought by Abraham from the land of 
Hharran, and they appealed to the Hebrew names of con¬ 
stellations in the books of Job and Amos for the antiquity of 
their observations. 

But how have they been treated in return, by the civilized 
nations! As the offscouring of the earth—despised, con¬ 
temned, and persecuted—abused, reviled, and charged with 
the most abominable crimes, without evidence, unheard, 
and contrary to all probability. Nay, they have been treat¬ 
ed like the wild beasts of the forest—have been proscribed, 
banished, murdered, or driven from one nation to another, 
but found safety in none. 

The sums of money that have been extorted from them, 
on pretexts the most frivolous and barbarous, are incalcu¬ 
lable. For the liquidation of the national debt arbitrary 
taxes were imposed on the Jews. Were public establish¬ 
ments to be founded, roads or fortresses to be built, or was 
there a time of scarcity, the purse of the Jew was always 
laid under contribution. Jewish money paid for the mag¬ 
nificence of a vice-legate’s palace, as well as for the pomp 
and splendor of processions, and not unfrequentlv they were 
forced to take part themselves in ceremonies which their 
religion taught them to abhor. 

“And with grief be it remembered,” says an eminent Eng¬ 
lish divine, “ that a foul blot rests on the Christian name, from 
the manner in which we have treated our elder brethren the 
Jews.” So early as the fourth century this evil spirit towards 
our brethren began to act : Elmacin relates, that in conse¬ 
quence of many Jews pretending to be Christians, while 
they were Jews in their hearts, swine’s flesh was boiled, and 
cut into mouthfulls, and a portion placed at the doors of 
every church. All that entered were obliged to eat a piece 
of the flesh. Those that were Jews in their hearts refused : 
and were immediately put to death. 

But as it may tend to greater certainty, and really so fully 
confirms what is suggested in holy writ, the following quota¬ 
tion from a Jewish author, complaining of their hard treat- 


418 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


ment, though long, will be excused. It is taken from a 
work entitled, “An Appeal to the justice of kings and 
nations,” cited in the transactions of the Parisian sanhe¬ 
drim, page 64, and mentioned by M. Faber in his work on 
the Prophecies, Vol. iii. p. 55—58. 

“ By what crimes, have we, then, deserved this furious 
intolerance ? What is our guilt ? Is it in that generous con¬ 
stancy which we have manifested in defending the laws of 
our fathers ? But this constancy ought to have entitled us 
to the admiration of all nations, and it has only sharpened 
against us the daggers of persecution. Braving all kinds of 
torments, the pangs of death, the still more terrible pangs of 
life, we alone have withstood the impetuous torrent of time, 
sweeping indiscriminately in its course, nations, religions, 
and countries. What has become of those celebrated em¬ 
pires, whose very name still excites our admiration by the 
ideas of splendid greatness attached to them, and whose 
power embraced the whole surface of the known globe ? 
They are only remembered as monuments of the vanity of 
human greatness. Rome and Greece are no more ; their 
descendants, mixed with other nations, have lost even the 
traces of their origin ; while a population of a few millions 
of men, so often subjugated, stands the test of thirty revolv¬ 
ing centuries, and the fierv ordeal of fifteen centuries of 
persecution ! We shall preserve laws, which were given to 
us in the first days of the world, in the infancy of nature ! 
The last followers of a religion which had embraced the 
universe, have disappeared, these fifteen centuries, and our 
temples are still standing ! We alone have been spared by 
the undiscriminating hand of time, like a column left stand- 
insr amidst the wreck of worlds and the ruin of nature.” 

It is hoped that, among Protestants at least, none now en¬ 
tertain feelings so alien to the spirit of the Gospel, though, 
in many quarters, there may be great indifference to the re¬ 
ligious improvement of Israel. It is earnestly to be wished 
that this apathy may be removed ; and that all who have 
themselves felt the power of evangelical truth, may take 
an unwearied interest in the cause of the Jews. Devoutly 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


419 


is it wished that the welfare of that remarkable race may be¬ 
come a subject of deep interest to all classes of Christians, 
with a godly emulation, to forward the cause of missions to 
them. If, among the members of every orthodox denomi¬ 
nation, the state of that people were made a constant sub¬ 
ject of special prayer, private, domestic, and public—if 
suitable efforts were made to send faithful and well qualified 
men among the seed of Abraham, who should tell the Tal¬ 
mudist that the ritual observances which he so laboriously 
practises, are now naught in the sight of God, as belonging 
to a system, whose time has passed away—who should 
inform the Caraite that justice and integrity are only accep¬ 
table to the Most High, when they proceed from sincere 
faith in Christ, and unfeigned love to Him—who should 
make known to the Rationalistic Israelite, that, while even 
the truest “political regeneration” is not man’s highest 
aim, it can only be accomplished by that religion to which 
modern times are indebted for their civilization,—and who 
should lay before all these classes the surpassing claims of 
the Gospel to their attention and acceptance. If this were 
done in that true spirit of piety which resigns itself entirely 
to the will of God, being prepared thankfully to acknowledge 
his goodness in granting, and reverently to adore his sove¬ 
reignty in withholding, success ; them might it be expected 
that the refreshing dew of the Spirit would abundantly 
descend, and cause the wilderness of Judaism more and 
more to “ rejoice and blossom as the rose.” 

A learned Jew confessed to a missionary of Elberfield, 
that cc he conceived the time when the Messiah should ap¬ 
pear, to be elapsed, and that many others are of the same 
opinion.” 

The first of these opinions, it will be observed, is that of 
a modern, free-thinking Jew, who does not care much 
about the matter, the latter is that of a more serious in¬ 
quirer, but who is still under the power of Judaical pre¬ 
judices. The following is the view taken of the same 
important subject by a converted Jew, a man well qualified 
to form an estimate of the fact. He thus expresses himself; 


420 


HISTORY OF THE JEWS. 


“ A general conversion of the Jews appears really to be very 
near at hand.” And what is the ground on which this 
learned Jew professes to rest this opinion ? Surely it is 
one which the members of this Society will not hear without 
emotion :—“ For,” says he, “ the Lord has raised a spirit 
of compassion and love towards this so long time neglected 
and oppressed people.” “ It is not in one city,” he proceeds, 
“ or one country only, that active care is taken for their 
temporal and eternal happiness ; but in many countries, nay 
in different parts of the world.” 

“ For thus saith the Lord, Sing with gladness for Jacob, 
and shout among the chief of the nations : publish ye, praise 
ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of 
Israel.” 


APPENDIX. 


CEREMONIES OF THE JEWS. 

SABBATH. 

According to the Jewish computation of time, the day 
commences at sunset. On Friday evening, and about one 
hour before sunset on this evening, all business transactions 
and secular occupations cease, and the twenty-four hours fol¬ 
lowing are devoted to the celebration of the holy Sabbath. I 
would here state, that all fast and feast days commence at 
the same hour with the Sabbath. The services of the Sab¬ 
bath commence with going to the synagogue, where daily 
afternoon service is read, after which some very beautiful 
and appropriate hymns are sung by the reader and the congre¬ 
gations alternately. The following is one of the hymns :— 

“ Come, thou beloved Redeemer, come, 

Thy waiting church to bless ; 

Shine forth to cheer thy Sabbath-day, 

Thou Sun of Righteousness. 

“ Once thou hast said, Remember, keep 
This sacred day to me; 

And we, obedient to thy word, 

Devote it, Lord, to thee. 

“ Thou, O Jehovah, art our God, 

And thy great name is One! 

All praise and worship and renown, 

We yield to thee alone. 

“In life’s short journey we delight 
To meet thy day of restj 



422 


APPENDIX. 


Wearied with six days' care and toil, 

We love thy Sabbath rest. 

‘ Rise, royal city ; Zion, rise, 

Thy King’s approach to hail; 

Long has thy night of mourning been 
In sorrow’s gloomy vale. 

11 Thus saith thy God, in richest love, 

1 Hear, O my people, hear! ’ 

Thy dust and sackcloth lay aside, 

In glorious robes appear. 

“ To you, my people, Jesse’s son 
Hath full salvation brought; 

By him, the man of Bethlehem, 

Is thy salvation wrought. 

“ Awake, arise; thy light is come : 

Sing with triumphant voice; 

Thy shame is past, thy sorrow gone; 

Let Israel’s sons rejoice.” 

Then the sabbatical evening service is read and sung 
While the males are attending to the services of the syna¬ 
gogue, the females occupy themselves at home in making 
preparation for the observance of the following day, which 
consists in covering all the tables with clean cloths ; and they 
place upon the tables from which they eat their food, a lamp 
having seven branches, in token of the seven days of the 
week. When the mistress of the house lights the lamps she 
offers this prayer:—"Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, 
King of the universe, who hast sanctified us with his com¬ 
mandment, and commanded us to light the lights of the Sab 
bath.” The reason why this ceremony is invariably assigned 
to the women, is because their original mother, by her crime 
in eating the forbidden fruit, caused sin. 

They set two loaves of bread upon one of the tables, baked 
on Friday, and covered with a napkin, in memory of the 
manna which fell with dew under and upon it, yet descended 
not on the Sabbath, but on the Friday they had a double por- 


APPENDIX. 


423 


tion. After prayers, the masters of families go home to 
their families, where they are received with more than ordi¬ 
nary cordiality. The parents then bless their children. If 
boys, the father puts his hands upon their heads, and says 
“ Let God do unto you as he did to Ephraim and Manasseh ; 
and if girls, he wishes them to be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, 
and Leah. If persons are ever so old, they will never omit 
to crave the parents’ blessing, every Friday evening and 
Saturday morning After the ceremony of blessing, they 
washed their hands. This is done, not by immersing the 
hands, but by pouring water on them. After washing, they 
lift up their hands and say, ‘Lift up your hands in holiness 
and bless the Lord.” When they are placed at the table, 
the master of the family takes a cup of wine, repeating the 
first three verses in the second chapter of Genesis, and after 
giving God thanks, and enjoining them to observe the Sab¬ 
bath, he blesses the wine, drinks, and gives some to the rest 
of the family. He then blessess and distributes the bread. 
They repeat the usual grace after supper, with the addition 
of making mention of the Sabbath. 

In the morning they repair to the synagogue. It is known 
to every one, who is acquainted with the New Testament, 
that Christ and his apostles paid a profound respect to the 
services and worship of the Jewish synagogue. It is said of 
our Savior, in the commencement of his public ministry, that 
“ his custom was,” to go “into the synagogue on the Sab¬ 
bath day.*’ And he said of himself, the same night in which 
he was betrayed, “ I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the 
temple.” It is also written of Paul, that while he abode at 
Corinth, “ he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath.” 

It is certain from these passages, that the synagogue, if not 
divinely instituted, was at least divinely approved. It was 
sanctioned by the highest authority possible. It must fur¬ 
nish therefore a subject of investigation, which will not fail 
to interest every enlightened Christian. 

My remarks will be directed, 

I. To the origin. 

II. To the services, and 


424 


APPENDIX. 


III. To the principal officers of the Jewish synagogue. 

It is certain that the Jews, from the earliest period of their 
histoiy, were accustomed to assemble on the Sabbath, and 
at other stated seasons, for the purposes of religion. Still it 
does not appear that synagogues in the more appropriate 
sense of the term, were established among them till after the 
captivity The reading of the law w as an essential part of 
the synagogue service. But it is difficult to account for a num¬ 
ber of facts, recorded in the earlier part of the Jewish his¬ 
tory, on supposition that the law was then frequently and 
statedly read among them. When Jehoshaphat sent teach¬ 
ers throughout Judea, to instruct the people in the law of 
God, they were obliged to carry a book of the law with them. 
And when a copy of the law' was found by Hilkiah in the 
temple, its contents would not have surprised him, or the 
King, had books of that nature been common in those times. 
These facts sufficiently show that the law was not statedly 
read, and that synagogues were not instituted among the 
Jews, till after their captivity at Babylon. 

In the days of Nehemiah w r e are informed of a public read 
ing and exposition of the law of God. This solemn service 
was performed by Ezra, and those elders who were appointed 
to assist him. The good effect which flowed from it, con¬ 
nected with the evils which were known to have resulted 
from a contrary course, probably led at this time to the con¬ 
clusion, that such seasons ought to be more frequently ob¬ 
served. Immediately after this, the law became a subject of 
general attention and study. It was frequently and publicly 
read, not only in Jerusalem, but in other cities of the Jews. 
Most likely it was read at first, as it had been by Ezra, in the 
open streets. But the inconvenience of this method being 
severely felt, public buildings were soon erected, in which 
the service was performed. Such, it may be supposed, was 
the origin of the synagogue. These places of public in¬ 
struction w^ere afterwards greatly multiplied. According to 
Lightfoot, there w^ere in our Savior’s time, four hundred and 
eighty synagogues in the city of Jerusalem. The services 
of the synagogues which are next to be considered, consisted 


APPENDIX. 


425 


of prayers, reading the scriptures, explaining them, and 
preaching.—The Jews have liturgies, in which are contained 
all the forms of prayer prescribed for the synagogue. The 
best of all these forms are those which they call by way of 
distinction, Shamona Esrah, or the eighteen prayers. It is 
presumed by some, that these were composed and instituted 
by Ezra. They certainly are very ancient ; for they are 
spoken of in the Mishna, as old settled forms. Probably the 
most of them were used in the time of our Savior, and are 
the very forms in which he united when he worshiped in the 
synagogue. To these eighteen prayers, the Jews have since 
added a multitude of forms, which render this part of their 
instituted service long and burdensome. 

The second part of the synagogue service was the reading 
of the scriptures. This was for many years confined exclu¬ 
sively to the law. The five books of Moses were divided into 
as many sections as their year contained weeks, and one sec¬ 
tion was read in public, every Sabbath. This continued to 
be the constant practice, till the time of Antiochus’ persecu¬ 
tion. At this period, the reading of the law was prohibited ; 
and those books which they collectively denominated the 
prophets were substituted in its stead. These furnished the 
only lessons, till the reading of the law was restored by the 
Maccabees. After this period, the law and the prophets were 
both read in the synagogues ; the first lesson being taken 
from the former, and the second from the latter. In this 
manner the service seems to have been performed in the days 
of the apostles. 

The third part of the synagogue service consisted in ex 
plaining the scriptures, and preaching. The scriptures were 
explained to people as soon as read. When the exposition 
was concluded, there was an opportunity for preaching. In 
both the ways here mentioned, our Savior seems to have 
taught in the synagogues. 

At the close of every synagogue service, a blessing was 
pronounced. This was done by a priest, if any ot this order 
was present, il not, it was pronounced by the chief ruler of 
the synagogue. 


426 


APPENDIX. 


Synagogue services were performed every week, on Mon¬ 
day, Thursday, and Saturday, which is the Jewish Sabbath ; 
and three times on each of these days. In this, they con¬ 
fined the practice of the ancient Israelites, who invariably 
offered up their prayers three times a day. 

Such is the synagogue worship at present among the Jews. 

There are three services, morning, afternoon, and even¬ 
ing. On their return from the last, a wax candle, or lamp 
with two wicks, is lighted and held by a child. The master 
then takes a glass of wine in his right hand and a box of 
spices in his left. After a prayer, the cup of wine being taken 
in the left, and the spices in the right hand, after another 
prayer, he and all the family smell of the spices, and taste 
the wine. This ceremony is called Habdalla, or separation, 
because it separates the Sabbath from all other days.* 

CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR. 

The Jewish year is either civil or ecclesiastical. The civil 
year commences in the month Tishri, or September. The 
Jews have a tradition that the world was created on the first 
day of this month, and from this epoch they compute the age 
of the world, and make use of this date in all their civil acts. 
The ecclesiastical year commences about the vernal equinox, 
in the month Nisan, which answers to part of March and 

* Merits of observing the Sabbath, according to the tradition of the 
elders:— 

We read that one rabbi says —“ That to every one who makes the 
Sabbath a delight, an infinite inheritance is given.” Another rabbi— 
“ That he shall, besides, be delivered from serving monarchies.” Another 
•—“ To every one who makes the Sabbath a delight, the desires of his heart 
are given.” Another says —“ Whosoever keeps the Sabbath according to 
its constitution, even though he were an idolator like Enosh, he shall be 
forgiven.” Others say —“ If Israel would keep the first Sabbath according 
to its constitution, no nation nor tongue should rule over them.” Another 
Bays —“ If Israel would keep two Sabbaths, they should be immediately 
delivered.” Another rabbi says—He that is accustomed to take great 
care in trimming his Sabbath lamp well, will have children who shall be 
disciples of the wise.” The having a handsome Sabbath lamp is repre¬ 
sented to be as necessary as providing food. 



APPENDIX. 


427 


April. All the religious rites and ceremonies are regulated 
by the ecclesiastical year. On the first of every month they 
celebrate the feast of the new moon, praying God to restore 
them to the holy city, and erect the temple at Jerusalem, 
where they could render the offering for the feast according 
to the law, (Numbers, xxviii. 11.) 

FEAST OF PASSOVER. 

The Feast of the Passover commences on the fifteenth day 
of the month Nisan, and continues, with Jews who live in 
or near Jerusalem, seven days; and with those in all other 
places eight days. The Sabbath preceding the passover is 
called the Great Sabbath. On that day the rabbi of each syn¬ 
agogue delivers a lecture, explaining the various regulations 
necessary to be observed on the approaching festival. During 
the whole time, they are required to abstain from leavened 
bread, and to suffer no leaven in their habitations. On the 
thirteenth day of the month, in the evening, the most care¬ 
ful and minute inquisition is made by the master of each fam¬ 
ily, through every part of his house, in order to clear it of leav¬ 
ened bread and every other particle of leaven. All that can 
be found is collected together in a vessel, carefully preserved 
during the night, and, together with the vessel in which it is 
deposited, is solemnly burnt a little before noon the next 
day. No vessels are to be used that have had any leaven in 
them, and therefore the kitchen utensils used at other times 
are to be put away, and their places supplied by new ones, 
or by some that are kept from one passover to another, and 
never used but on that occasion. For the same reason, the 
kitchen tables and chairs, shelves and cupboards, undergo a 
thorough purgation, first with hot water, and then with cold. 
A few days before the passover, they make unleavened cakes, 
as many as will be wanted during the festival, to supply the 
place of common bread. Among other directions which reg¬ 
ulate the preparation of the grain from which they are made, 
the meal is to be boulted in the presence of a Jew; and the 
dough is not to be left a moment without working or knead¬ 
ing, lest any fermentation should take place. The cakes are 


428 


APPENDIX. 


commonly round, thin, and full of little holes ; and in gen¬ 
eral they consist of flour and water only ; but the more 
wealthy and dainty Jews enrich them with eggs and sugar ; 
cakes so made, however, are not to be eaten on the first day 
of the festival. They are forbidden to drink any liquor made 
from grain. 

On the fourteenth day of the month, the first-born son of 
each family is required to fust, in remembrance of the protec¬ 
tion enjoyed by the first-born of Israel, when God smote all 
the first-born of the Egyptians. 

In the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, the men 
assemble in the synagogue, to usher in the festival by pray¬ 
ers and other offices prescribed in their ritual.* It is custom¬ 
ary for every Jew to honor this festival by an exhibition of 
the most sumptuous furniture he can afford. The table is 
covered with a clean linen cloth, on which are placed several 
plates or dishes. On one is laid the shank bone of a shoulder 
of lamb or kid, but generally lamb, and an egg ; on another, 
three cakes, carefully wrapped in two napkins; on a third, 
eome lettuce, chervil, parsley, celery, wild succory, or horse¬ 
radish. These are their bitter herbs. Near the sallad is 
placed a cruet of vinegar, and some salt and water. They 
have also a dish, representing the bricks required to be made 


* We select the following expressions from the Jewish ritual, among 
the multitude of others, to show what are the expectations of the Jews 
respecting the future passover :— 

u The passover was given for a sign by the Lord and Ruler, that he will 
protect and deliver, pass over, and cause to escape, his people, on the 
future passover.” 

“ The passover is prepared for the redemption of the captives, when the 
Lord shall go forth and fight against the nations on the future passover.” 

With respect to the future destruction of Rome, the following passage 
may be quoted from the Jewish prayers : 11 On the Passover a sharp sword 
shall fall on Edom, by the hand of him who is white and ruddy, as in the 
days of the feast of the passover.” 

“ He who is fearful in his words, called it the night of preservations, for 
therein he brake the bonds of Egypt; he will break in pieces the people 
that stamp on and devour all , when he shall redeem his people on it the 
second time.” 



APPENDIX. 


429 


by their forefathers in Egypt. This is a thick paste, com¬ 
posed ot apples, almonds, nuts and figs, dressed in wine, and 
seasoned with cinnamon. Every Jew who can afford wine, 
also provides some for this occasion. 

The family being seated, the master of the house pro¬ 
nounces a grace over the table in general, and the wine in 
particular.* Then leaning in a stately manner on his left 
arm, as an indication of the liberty which the Israelites re¬ 
gained when they departed from Egypt, he drinks a glass of 
wine, in which he is followed by all the company. Having 
emptied their glasses, they dip some of the herbs in vinegar, 
and eat them, while the master repeats another benediction. 
The master next unfolds the napkins, and taking the middle 
cake, breaks it in two, replaces one of the pieces between 
the two whole cakes, and conceals the other piece under his 
plate, or under the cushion on which he leans, in professed 
allusion to the circumstances recorded by Moses, that “The 
people took their dough before it was leavened, their knead¬ 
ing troughs being bound up in their clothes.” He removes 
the lamb and egg from the table. Then the plate containing 
the cakes, being lifted up by the hands of the whole company, 
they unite in rehearsing, “ This is the bread of poverty and 
affliction which our fathers did eat in Egypt. Whosoever 
hungers, let him come and eat. Whosoever needs, let him 
come and eat of the Paschal Lamb. This year we are here ; 
the next, God willing, we shall be in Canaan. This year 
we are servants ; the next, if God will, we shall be free, 
children of the family, and lords.” 

The lamb and egg are again placed on the table, and 
another glass of wine is taken. The plate containing the 


* “ Blessed be thou, O Lord, who hast created the fruit of the vine. 
Blessed be thou for this good day, and for this holy convocation, which 
thou hast given us for joy and rejoicing. Blessed be thou, O Lord, who 
hast sanctified Israel and the times.” 

u O Lord our God, have mercy, we beseech thee, upon Israel thy people, 
and upon Jerusalem thy city, and upon thine altar, and upon thy temple ; 
and build Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily, in our days, and bring us up 
into the midst of it, and make us glad therein.” 



4S0 


APPENDIX. 


cakes is removed, in order that the children may be excited 
to inquire into the meaning of the festival. If no children 
are present, some adult proposes a question according to a 
prescribed form, which is answered by an account of the cap¬ 
tivity and slavery of the nation in Egypt, their deliverance 
by Moses, and the institution of the passover on that occa¬ 
sion. This recital is followed by some psalms and hymns. 
After which (not to proceed with a detail of every particular 
movement) the cakes are replaced on the table, and pieces 
of them are distributed among the company, who, “ instead 
of the paschal lamb,” the oblation of which is wholly discon¬ 
tinued,* “eat this unleavened bread ” with some of the bit¬ 
ter herbs and part of the thick paste made in memory of the 
bricks. 

After this, succeeds a plentiful supper, which is followed 
by some more pieces of the cakes, and two more glasses 
of wine ; for they are required on this occasion to drink four 
glasses each ; t and every glass, according to the rabbis, com¬ 
memorates a special blessing vouchsafed to their forefathers. 
The fourth and last cup is accompanied with some passages 
borrowed from the Scripture, imprecating the divine ven¬ 
geance on the heathens and on all the enemies of Israel. 
The same course of ceremonies is repeated on the second 
night. This ceremonial, the modern Jews profess to believe, 

* The reason assigned by the rabbis for discontinuing the oblation of the 
Paschal Lamb, and the rites with which it was to be accompanied, is, that 
those ceremonies can be lawfully performed only in the land of Canaan, 
all other countries being unholy and polluted. But do the Jews now resi¬ 
dent in Palestine perform those services ? If not, what is the reason of 
their omission of so important a part of the law ? and can the reason 
assigned by the rabbis, for the omission in other countries, be the true one 1 

t As to the ceremony of the four cups, the circumstances connected 
with them evidently show that they are not for the purpose of revelry, 
but part of a solemn religious observance. 

“ Over each of these four cups a benediction is to be pronounced_over 

the first cup is said the consecration of the day ; over the second cup, the 
deliverance of Egypt is read; over the third cup, the benediction for food 
is pronounced ; and over the fourth, the Hallel is completed, and the ben¬ 
ediction for the song pronounced.” 



APPENDIX. 


431 


,c will be as acceptable in the presence of the Lord as the ac¬ 
tual offering of the passover.” 

The first two days, and the last two, are kept as days of 
high solemnity, being celebrated with great pomp, by extra¬ 
ordinary services in the synagogues, and by an abstinence 
from all labor, nearly as strict as on the Sabbath ; except that 
they are allowed to make a fire, dress their meat, and carry 
any things they want from one place to another. The four 
intermediate days are a kind of half-holidays, distinguished 
from common days only by the interdiction of servile work, 
and a long list of particular restrictions, which it would be 
tedious and unnecessary to recite. The last day of the festi¬ 
val is concluded with the ceremony called Habdalla , which, 
with the omission of the spice, is performed in the same man¬ 
ner as at the close of the Sabbath. After this, they are at 
liberty to return to the use of leavened bread. Contracts of 
marriage may be made, but no marriage is to be solemnized 
during this festival. 

FEAST OF PENTECOST. 

The Feast of Pentecost is on the sixth day of the month 
Sivan, the fiftieth of the Omer. From this circumstance it 
obtains the name of Pentecost, which is derived from a Greek 
word signifying the fiftieth. Moses calls it the Feast of 
Weeks, because it was fixed at the end of seven weeks from 
the offering of the sheaf; and the Feast of First Fruits, be¬ 
cause an offering was then made of two loaves, the produce 
of the corn just reaped. This festival, which it has already 
been stated, now includes two days, is kept with the same 
strictness as the first two days of the Passover, and is 
celebrated with peculiar services in the synagogues. In 
some countries it is customary to adorn the synagognes and 
houses with flowers and odoriferous herbs. The book of 
Ruth is read, because the circumstances it relates took place 
at the time of harvest. At this time, too, the Jews maintain 
the law was delivered on Mount Sinai, and therefore that 
portion of Scripture which declares the delivery of the deca¬ 
logue is solemnly read. The six hundred and thirteen pre- 


432 


APPENDIX. 


cepts, said to comprehend the whole law, are also formally 
recited. The morning service of the second day is concluded 
with prayers for the dead.* On the evening of the second 
day the festival is terminated by the ceremony of Habdalla, 
performed in the same manner as on the eighth day of the 
passover. 

“ On the ninth day of Awb, which answers to July or August, 
in the fifth month of the ecclesiastical year, the Jews observe 
a strict fast, occasioned by the destruction of the first temple 
by Nebuchadnezzar. On this day, also, the second temple 
was burnt by the Romans. During this fast, they not only 
abstain from all food, but do not even taste a drop of water. 
In the evening they go to the synagogue, and, after their usual 
prayers, the book of Jeremiah is read in a low mournful 
voice. 

There is not a more touching passage in the Jewish service- 
books, than the following mournful chant appointed for this 
day. It will probably be new to the readers, for the want of 
knowledge of what passes in the synagogues and amongst 
the Jews generally, is profound. Were it otherwise, we 
might perhaps attain to a more scriptural understanding of 
their position in reference to other things ; but we pass on to 
give the poetical antithesis which loses much, very much by 
its transmutation into another tongue from the majestic 
Hebrew of the original. 


* This office is entitled “The Memorial of Departed Souls.” “ It is 
customary to make mention of the souls of departed parents and others on 
the day of atonement, and the ultimate days of the three festivals,” Pass- 
over, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, “ and to offer for the repose of their 
souls.” 

“ May God remember the soul of my honored father, A. B., who is gone 
to his repose; for that I now solemnly offer charity for his sake : in reward 
of this, may his soul enjoy eternal life with the souls of Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob; Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah ; and the rest of the right¬ 
eous males and females that are in Paradise ; and let us say, Amen. 

“ May God remember the soul of my honored mother, C. D., who is 
gone,etc. 

“May God remember the souls of my father and mother, and grand¬ 
fathers and grandmothers, my uncles and aunts, my brothers and sisters, 
whether fraternal or maternal, who are gone,” etc. 



APPENDIX. 


4S3 


“ Joy as fire, burnt within me, when 1 reflected on my going forth from 
Egypt ; 

“ But now 1 am awakened to lamentation, when 1 remember my going 
forth from Jerusalem. 

“ Then Moses sang the song which shall never be forgotten, when I 
came forth from Egypt; 

“ But Jeremiah lamented with sorrow, lamentation and woe, when 1 
went forth from Jerusalem. 

“ My house was prepared, and the cloud abode thereon, when I came 
forth from Egypt; 

“ But the wrath of God rested on me as a cloud, when 1 went forth 
from Jerusalem. 

“ The waves of the sea roared, and stood up as a wall, when 1 came 
forth from Egypt; 

“But the waters overflowed my head, and overwhelmed me, when I 
went forth from Jerusalem. 

“ Corn descended from heaven, and the rock issued water, when I came 
forth from Egypt; 

“ But I was satiated with wormwood and gall, and bitter waters, when i 
went forth from Jerusalem. 

“ I arose early and continued until even, around Mount Horeb, when I 
came forth from Egypt; 

“ But I was called to mourn by the waters of Babylon, when I went 
forth from Jerusalem. 

“ The glory of the Lord was visible as a consuming fire before me, 
when I came forth from Egypt; 

“ But 1 was doomed to slaughter by the sharpened sword, when I went 
forth from Jerusalem. 

“ Sacrifice, meat-offering, and the anointing oil, were prepared, when 1 
came forth from Egypt; 

“ But the peculiar people were taken and led as sheep to the slaughter, 
when 1 went forth from Jerusalem. 

“ Sabbaths and festivals were instituted, signs and wonders performed, 
when I came forth from Egypt; 

“ But fasting, mourning, and vexatious pursuit, when I went forth from 
Jerusalem. 

“ How goodly were the tents, and the four standards, when I came forth 
from Egypt! 

“ But it was the tents of the Ishmaelites, and the camps of the uncir¬ 
cumcised, when 1 went forth from Jerusalem. 

“ The jubilee and the year of release for the land to rest were instituted, 
when 1 came forth from Egypt; 

“ But I was sold for ages, and cut off with severity, when I went forth 
from Jerusalem. 


37 


434 


APPENDIX 


u The mercy-seat, ark, and stones of memorial were prepared, when I 
came forth from Egypt; 

“ But sling-stones, and destructive weapons, when 1 went forth from 
Jerusalem. 

“ There were Levites, priests, and seventy elders, when I came forth 
from Egypt j 

“ But taskmasters, oppressors, sellers, and buyers, when 1 went forth 
from Jerusalem. 

“ Moses fed me, and Aaron led me, when 1 came forth from Egypt j 

“ But Nebuchadnezzar and the Emperor Hadrian oppressed me, when 1 
went forth from Jerusalem. 

u When we prepared for battle the Lord was there, when I came forth 
from Egypt; 

“ But He was removed far from us, and was not near us, when 1 went 
forth from Jerusalem. 

u The secret place within the veil, and the order of show-bread, when 1 
came forth from Egypt j 

“ But wrath poured on me, covered me as a thicket, when I went forth 
from Jerusalem. 

u Burnt offerings, peace offerings, and sacrifices by fire for a sweet 
savor, when 1 came forth from Egypt; 

11 But the precious children of Zion were thrust through with the sword, 
when I went forth from Jerusalem. 

“ Bonnets of honor were appointed to be worn for respect, when I came 
forth from Egypt j 

“ But it was hissing, shouting, shame and vexation that 1 experienced, 
when I went forth from Jerusalem. 

“ The plate of gold, with dominion and power, were conferred on me, 
when I came forth from Egypt; 

“ But there was none to help, and the crown was down, when 1 went 
forth from Jerusalem. 

“ Sanctification, the spirit of prophecy, and the tremendous divine 
presence, was I blessed with, when 1 came forth from Egypt 5 

“ But filthy and polluted with the unclean spirit was 1, when I went 
forth from Jerusalem. 

“I had song, salvation, and the sounding trumpets, when I came forth 
from Egypt 5 

11 But the cries of the children, and the groans of the wounded, when 1 
went forth from Jerusalem. 

u The table, candlestick, whole burnt-offerings and incense, when I 
came forth from Egypt; 

“ But idols, abominations, and graven images, when 1 went forth from 
Jerusalem. 

" Thanksgiving offerings, the testimony, and the order of temple 
'ice, whgn J came forth from Egypt ) 


APPENDIX. 


435 


“ But the want of the Talmud, and the discontinuance of the daily 
sacrifice, when 1 went forth from Jerusalem. 

“ The Lord God of Hoets showed us wonders, when I came forth from 

Egypt; 

“ And He will call his Divine presence, and his service, to return to the 
midst of Jerusalem.” 

The Rev. Mr. Evald, Mrs. Alexander, (wife of the late 
Bishop of Jerusalem,) Miss Yarborough, and Mr. Caiman 
visited the Spanish synagogue at Jerusalem, on the eve of 
that memorable day, and says, cc We went about seven o’clock 
in the evening to the Spanish synagogues to sympathize with 
the mourners. The Jews received us kindly, and pointed 
out seats for us. The synagogue was dimly lighted, each 
Jew present had a small wax taper in his hand, and sat on 
the ground chanting, in doleful tones, the history of their ca¬ 
lamities. I sat myself on the ground by the side of an Israel- 
itish acquaintance. When we had been about half an hour 
in the synagogue, the clerk came to us and said it was cus¬ 
tomary to put out all the lights, and that he came therefore 
to apprise us of it, lest we should be frightened. As soon as 
the lights were put out, they commenced weeping, wailing, 
and lamenting ; it was truly awful ; the shrieks went through 
our inmost souls ; I never witnessed such a melancholy 
scene. This custom does not prevail among the Jews in 
Europe. Poor, poor, benighted brethren ! well may you 
mourn; your sun is gone down, your glory departed, your 
house is left unto you desolate, and you have no comforter.” 

In the morning they attend the synagogue early, and read 
a portion of the law, and part of the eighth and ninth chapters 
of Jeremiah. 

They go to the synagogue again in the afternoon, and 
read passages from the law' and the prophets suitable to the 
occasion. All their prayers on this day tend to remind them 
of their captivity, and the destruction of their temple ; which 
deprived them of offering the daily sacrifice, by which an 
atonement was made for their sins. 

Besides the public fasts, which the Jews are commanded 
to observe, there are some others peculiar to the nation in 


436 


APPENDIX. 


different countries. The German Jews, for instance, both 
after the passover, and the feast of tabernacles, keep three 
fasts, viz., Monday, Tuesday, and the following Monday. 
The reason assigned for this practice is, that they might, 
during the preceding feasts,* have committed some offence 
against God. They fast also on the vigil of the new year, 
and some on that of every new month. Several other fasts 
and festivals have been instituted, but not generally received, 
and are not observed at present. 

The following is one of the prayers used on the day when 
a free-will fast is offered : 

“ Sovereign of the universe, it is clearly known unto Thee, 
that whilst the Holy Temple was established, if a man sin¬ 
ned he brought an offering, of which he offered only the fat 
and blood ; yet didst Thou in Thy abundant mercy grant 
him pardon. Because of our iniquities the Holy Temple is 
destroyed, and we have neither Sanctuary nor Priest to 
atone for us. O ! may it, therefore, be acceptable in thy 
presence, that the diminution of my fat and blood, which hath 
been diminished this day, may be accounted as fat offered 
and placed on the altar, and thus be accepted of me ! 

“ Guardian of Israel, preserve the remnant of Israel, and 
suffer not Israel to be destroyed, who say, ‘ O Israel ! ’ 

“ Guardian of a single nation, preserve the remnant of 
a single people, and suffer not a single nation to be destroyed, 
who acknowledge the unity of thy name, saying, ‘ The Lord 
is our God—the Lord is our unity ! 5 ” 

FEAST OF TRUMPETS. 

The feast trumpets is celebrated on the first day of the 
seventh month. It is now generally called Rosh Hashanah, 
or the new year; reckoning from the period of the creation. 
The reader will remember that the month Nisan or Abib 
was ordered to be the beginning of months, in commemora- 


* This custom appears to be founded upon the practice of Job. who 
offered sacrifices for his children after they had feasted, for fear they 
should have sinned against God.—Job, i. 4, 5. 



APPENDIX. 


437 


tion of the deliverance out of Egpyt ; it is supposed to have 
been formerly the seventh month, and that the month Tishri, 
which commences with the feast of trumpets, was the begin¬ 
ning of the year. Both periods are now in use ; by the 
former, called the ecclesiastical year, all the feasts and fasts 
are reckoned ; and by the latter, or civil year, the Jews still 
compute time in the ordinary transactions of life. 

For a month before the feast of trumpets, each day, after 
morning service in the synagogue, the ram’s horn is sounded. 
This horn is just as it is taken off the ram, only a little 
straightened, and made capable of giving forth a sound. 
The common idea is, that this is to awaken the mercy of God 
towards them, by putting him in remembrance of the lime 
when Abraham was about to offer up Isaac, and the Lord 
graciously pointed out to him a ram entangled in a thicket 
by his horns. 

About a week before the feast, the Jews assemble every 
morning in the synagogue, at three or four o’clock, for prayer 
and prostration before the Lord. The prayers and confes¬ 
sions are very striking, calling upon God to pardon them 
whatsoever they may have done amiss, during the year that is 
past; and entreating for spiritual and temporal blessings in 
the year to come. The day previous to the feast, they go to 
the synagogue at two o’clock in the morning ; again making 
confession of sin, and reminding God of his covenant with 
Abraham : this morning is called Zechor Berith, a remind¬ 
ing of the covenant. The following are some of the petitions 
used on this day :— 

“ Righteousness belongeth unto Thee, but unto us confu¬ 
sion of faces; what can we answer or say unto Thee, or 
how shall we be justified before our God ? We will seek to 
return unto Thee, for Thy right hand is stretched out to re¬ 
ceive the penitent, those that return unto Thee with their 
whole heart : Thou heare^t their cries for Thy tender mer¬ 
cies’sake. We come before Thee, very poor and needy; 
do not, we beseech Thee, send us empty away. Our souls 
and bodies are Thine ; thou hast made us; O ! have mercy 
upon Thine own workmanship. Do this, for Thine own 

37* 


438 


APPENDIX. 


name’s sake, for thy name is gracious and merciful. If 
Thou shouldst mark iniquity, who could stand ? But there 
is forgiveness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared : with 
Thee is the fountain oflife : in Thy light we shall see light. 
We fall down before Thee, not in our own righteousness, 
but for Thy righteousness’ sake. O Lord ! let all Thy 
works praise Thee, and let all Thy creatures worship before 
Thy face ; may they all be knit together in one knot , to do 
Thy will with their whole hearts. Give honor unto Thy 
people, praise to those that fear Thee, faith to those that 
seek Thee, and open the mouths of those that wait for Thee : 
give joy unto Thy land, and gladness unto Thy city ; cause 
the horn of Thy servant David to be exalted ; and may the 
light of the son of Jesse, Thy anointed, be in order speedily, 
even in our days. And may Thy kingdom speedily begin 
upon all Thy works, upon Zion, the dwelling of Thy glory, 
and in Jerusalem the city of Thy holiness, according as 
Thou hast declared in Thy holy words: ‘ The Lord shall 
reign for ever and ever, even thy God, O Zion, to all gener¬ 
ations. Hallelujah.’” 

On the morning of the feast of trumpets, after assembling 
in the synagogue, they again renew the confession of their 
sins during the past year, and entreat mercy and forgiveness. 
The general expectation is, that at this season, in which the 
original creation was accomplished, the recreation, or res¬ 
titution of all things, will take place ; that the Jews shall be 
restored to their own land, and the peaceful reign of Mes¬ 
siah commence. Much of the service of the day has a direct 
reference to this subject. 

The trumpet, which is the ram’s horn before mentioned, 
is sounded three times by a devout man. The following 
prayer is said by him, before he begins : — “ May it be ac¬ 
ceptable in thy presence, O Lord, my God, and the God of 
my fathers, The God of heaven,'and the God of the earth ; 
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob ; 
the great God, mighty and tremendous ; to send me the holy 
and pure angels, who are faithful ministers, and faithful in 
their message ; and who are desirous and willing to justify 


APPENDIX. 


439 


Israel; and also the great angel Patzpatziah, who is appoint¬ 
ed to present the merits of Israel, when they sound the cornet 
this day ; and likewise the great angel Tashbash, who is ap¬ 
pointed to declare the merits of Israel, and confound Satan 
with their sound of the cornet ; and the great princes, who 
are appointed over the cornet, Enkatham and Pastain ; and 
the great angels, Hadarniel and Sandalphon, who are ap¬ 
pointed over our sounding, who introduce our sounding be¬ 
fore the throne of Thy glory ; and also the angel Shamshiel, 
who is appointed over the joyful sound ; and the angel 
Prasta, who is appointed to superintend the sounds, that 
they may all be expeditious in their errand ; to introduce 
our soundings before the veil, and before the throne of Thy 
glory ; and mayest thou be filled with mercy over thy peo¬ 
ple Israel ; and lead us within the temperate line of justice ; 
and conduct thyself towards thy children with the attribute 
of mercy, and suffer our soundings to ascend before the 
throne of thy glory.” The first sound is called Malchuth, or 
the kingdom ; and is accompanied with an invocation to 
God, to reign over the whole creation, in the fulness of His 
glory; that every creature may know Him to be the King, and 
every living soul say, cc the God of Israel reigneth.” 

The second sound is called Zechrounouth, or Remem¬ 
brances ; this is to remind God of His promises to Abraham, 
Isaac, and Jacob ; and to entreat Him to remember their 
posterity with mercy. 

The third sound is called Shouphrouth, or the trumpets; 
this is to call to remembrance the time when, after having 
delivered them out of the bondage of Eygpt, God gave them 
the law from Mount Sinai, with the sound of a trumpet ; and 
to invoke Him to hasten the time when the great trumpet 
shall be blown, and they shall all come to worship the Lord 
in the holy Mount of Jerusalem, (Isaiah xxvii.) The 
reader will remember a striking coincidence in the use of 
this symbol, in the book of Revelation ; that when the last 
trumpet is sounded, it is announced that “ the kingdoms of 
this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his 
Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 
xi. 15.) 


440 


APPENDIX. 


DAY OF ATONEMENT. 

From the beginning of the new year until the tenth day, 
on which the feast of the atonement is celebrated, they are 
wont to call Asereth Yemay Tshuvah, or £C the ten days of 
repentance ; ” and on these days they mortify themselves 
severely by fasting, pray much, and affect great piety ; that 
if God shall have written any one in the book of death, and 
shall have appointed for him a bad year, he may now look 
upon his repentance and good works, and change it into 
good for him, and restore him to the book of the living on the 
day of expiation, and then at length seal up his judgment. 

They thrice recite their confession every morning ; they 
excommunicate no one ; they summon no one before a court; 
they bring a solemn oath on no one. 

On the ninth day they rise very early, go into the syna¬ 
gogue, and pray and sing much. As soon as they return 
home, every male—boys as well as men—takes a cock in his 
hands, .and the women each a hen ; those which are with 
child take both a cock and a hen. Afterwards, whoever is 
master of the family, with the cock in his hands, first comes 
forth into the middle of the company, and repeats from the 
Psalms of David, (cvii. 17,) Fools , because of their trans¬ 
gression and because of their iniquities , are afflicted. Their 
soul abhorreth all manner of meat ; and they draw near unto 
death. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and 
he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word 
and healed them, and delivered them from their destruc¬ 
tions. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, 
and for his wonderf ul works to the children of men! And let 
them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his 
ivorks with rejoicing. He next repeats Job xxxiii. 23 : If 
there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a 
thousand , to show unto man his uprightness : Then he is 
gracious to him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to 
the pit : I have found a ransom, (namely, this cock or hen, 
which shall expiate my sins.) He then approaches the 
atonement, and dashes the cock three times on his own head 
and follows each stroke with these words : “ This cock is 


APPENDIX. 


441 


my substitute, it is in my stead, it is my atonement, it shall 
suffer death, but I and all Israel shall have a happy life.” 
He does this three times in succession, for himself, his chil¬ 
dren, and the strangers that are with him ; as the High 
Priest also made expiation under the Old Testament 
according to what we read in the book of Leviticus. He 
then kills the cock. He first draws together the skin of its 
throat, and thinks within himself, that he himself is worthy 
of being choked or strangled ; he next opens the windpipe 
with a knife, and again thinks within himself, that he is 
worthy to suffer by the sword : immediately afterwards, lie 
throws it with his whole force on the ground, to denote that 
he himself is worthy of being stoned. Lastly, he roasts the 
cock, that in this way he may shew that he himself is worthy 
to be burnt to death. Thus it is made to suffer these four 
kinds of death for the Jews. 

The intestines they usually throw on the roof of the 
house, in commiseration of the birds, that they may share in 
their sacrifice. Others, however, say that this is done 
because sins being an internal, rather than an external thing, 
their sins cleave to the intestines of the cock, and the crows 
come and fly away with the sins of the Jews to the desert, 
even as the goat under the Old Testament escaped to the 
wilderness with the sins of the people. They also take 
pains to procure a white cock for this oblation, and avoid a 
red one altogether, because a red one is already covered 
with sin ; for sin itself is red, as it is' written, (Is. i. 18 ,) If 
your sins be as scarlet , they shall be white as snow ; though 
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Now if the 
cock be white he is infected with no sin, and can bear the 
sins of the Jews; but if he be red he is altogether covered 
with sins, and is therefore unfit for bearing the sins of the 
Jews. 

But the cause why they use a cock rather than any other 
animal, is this :—In Hebrew a man is called Gebher. Now 
if Gebher, (man,) has sinned, Gebher, (man,) must also 
sustain the penalty of sin. But since the punishment is 
heavier than the Jews can bear, they substitute for them- 


442 


APPENDIX. 


selves a cock, which in the Talmudical, or Babylonical dia¬ 
lect, is called Gebher, and thus the divine justice is satisfied : 
because, as Gebher has sinned, so Gebher, i. e. a cock, is 
sacrificed. 

In their evening assembly in the synagogue, there is gener¬ 
ally a deep and solemn feeling awakened. It is commonly 
believed, that at this time God sits as supreme judge, and 
disposes of all things ; allotting to each individual the events 
that are to befall him in the ensuing year. The whole con¬ 
gregation are dressed in white garments, kept by them ex¬ 
pressly for this occasion, and which garments are finally 
used as their grave clothes. It will easily be believed that 
this is a time of much solemnity ; the thoughts of many revert 
to their dear departed relatives, who perhaps a year before 
sat beside them, arrayed in those vestments which have since 
enveloped their breathless clay ; while others have the terrors 
of approaching death brought vividly to their ow n remem¬ 
brance. Many sighs and tears accompany the prayers that 
are then offered up. The rich are to be humbled, by see¬ 
ing themselves dressed in the same way as the poorest in the 
assembly ; seeing there is a time when all must return into 
the ground whence the}' w r ere taken ; the vanity of earthly 
grandeur is thus shown forth, and the equality of all men in 
the presence of God, as poor and helpless sinners. Service 
lasts, on this evening, till nearly ten o’clock. A rigid fast is 
observed for the same length of time, which has been form¬ 
erly mentioned ; not even a drop of water being taken ; and 
on this day children, only eleven years old, frequently join 
in the general abstinence ; this is not imposed on them as a 
duty at that early age, but most of them do it willingly. 

The next morning they again meet in the synagogue, and 
remain there until evening. The w hole day is spent in 
prayer, and reading the psalms and other scriptures ; and 
also an account is read of the services of this day, as per¬ 
formed of old in the temple. Many of the prayers are very 
beautiful ; short quotations only can be afforded. 

“ O God ! before we were created, there w r as no worthi¬ 
ness in us, that we should be created ; and now that we are 


APPENDIX. 


443 


created, we are as unprofitable as if we had not been created. 
We are before Thee as a vessel filled with shame and dis¬ 
grace ; may it please Thee, 0 God ! that we may sin no 
more; and blot out, through Thy mercy, all our transgres¬ 
sions.” 

“ O our God, and the God of our fathers ! be pleased to 
teach all Thy servants who are standing before Thee this 
day how to pray ; may we ask nothing but what is in accord¬ 
ance with Thy will ; and be gracious unto us; for thou hast 
declared by Thy holy prophets, that Thou wilt be gracious 
unto whom Thou wilt be gracious,” etc. 

After that part of the service is read, detailing the mode 
of this day’s celebration in the temple,, they again acknowl¬ 
edge their transgressions, and plead for the mercy of God, 
saying,— (i We have no high priest, no sacrifice, no temple, 
no shechinah ; but we look for Thy free mercy, for Thou 
art gracious and merciful.” In the evening the service is 
concluded by the sounding of the horn, in commemoration of 
the sound of the trumpet, which, in Leviticus xxv. 9, is 
commanded to be sounded on the day of atonement. This 
was the signal when every man was to return to his inheri¬ 
tance ; and is now considered as symbolizing the time when 
the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged,—when the Messiah 
will come and sprinkle clean water upon them, and they 
shall be clean,—when the jubilee shall be proclaimed, and 
they shall return again unto their own land. 

FEAST OF TABERNACLES. 

The next of this series of annual solemnities is the Feast 
of Tabernacles, which is commenced on the fifteenth day of 
this same month of Tishri. It is regarded as a season of 
great joy. 

The lesson read in the synagogue, on the first day, is Zcch. 
xiv., in which this feast is mentioned in connexion with the 
restoration of Jerusalem. At certain parts of the service, 
they take in their hands, as commanded, branches of palm, 
myrtle and willow, and the fruit of the citron. While on 
the subject of the public service, it occurs to me to mention 


444 


APPENDIX. 


two of the blessings, which are not peculiar to this feast, but 
common to all ; and which will show how unfounded is the 
notion some Christians entertain, that the resurrection of the 
dead is not a doctrine distinctly recognized as an article of 
faith among the Jews :— cc Thou wilt establish Thy faithful¬ 
ness to those that sleep in the dust. Thou art also faithful 
to revive the dead. Blessed art Thou, 0 Lord, who revivest 
the dead !” 

The tabernacle or booth, in which they were commanded 
to dwell seven days, is now generally erected by the Jews in 
some garden or court-yard adjoining their houses. It is an 
enclosure, about twelve or fifteen feet square ; and is com¬ 
posed on three sides of boards, the fourth side being left 
open. The roof is generally thatched with branches of trees, 
it being necessary that the stars should be seen through it, 
in order to show' that it is but a temporary dwelling, not a 
ceiled house. In this tent the family assemble, after return¬ 
ing from the synagogue ; and having blest the Lord for giv¬ 
ing them the feast of tabernacles, they sup together in it. 
Unless the inclemency of the weather renders it impractica¬ 
ble, every meal is taken there during the seven days of the 
feast. In southern climates, where the air is temperate, and 
rain is hardly known at that season, the tabernacles are of 
such a size as to enable the family to live in them entirely 
during the seven days ; but in these northern latitudes this 
is not attempted, except by certain individual members of 
the family who may choose to do so. It may be mentioned, 
that when rainy weather occurs during the feast of taberna¬ 
cles, it is always considered as a mark of God’s displeasure. 

The seventh day is called Hoshanna rabba, the great sal¬ 
vation ; from the idea that their future great deliverance, 
and restoration to their own land, will take place at this 
time, and that the eighth or grcatday of the feast will be spent 
in rejoicing over this final deliverance. On this day they go 
round the synagogue seven times, carrying the palm and 
other branches in their hands, and singing hymns; saying, 
“ Save us, O God, for thy name’s sake; save us for thy 
righteousness’ sake,” etc. There are many traditions re- 


APPENDIX. 


445 


specting the joyful manner in which the eighth and last day 
of the feast was kept, while they were yet in their own land. 
They used to draw water from the fountain of Siloah, which 
they poured out on the altar ; and as the Levites were as¬ 
cending the steps, it is said, they sung the Psalms called the 
songs of degrees, or steps, as it may be translated. The re¬ 
joicing was so great, that it was a common saying, “ that he 
who has not seen the joy of the drawing of water, docs not 
know what joy means.” This ceremony is thought to be re¬ 
ferred to in the twelfth chapter of Isaiah ; and also by our 
Lord, in John vii. 87. 

FEAST OF THE DEDICATION. 

The feast next in order is one little known to Christians 
(although it is alluded to in the New Testament,) as it com¬ 
memorates an event that occurred after the close of the Old 
Testament history. It is the Feast of the Dedication, in 
remembrance of the cleansing of the sanctuary, by Judas 
Maccabeus. As many readers may be little acquainted with 
this part of the history of the nation, the narrative shall be 
given as related in the First Book of Maccabees. 

Judas Maccabeus, having put to flight the army of Lysias, 
he and the other Jews went up to Mount Zion, and after 
lamenting the desolation of the sanctuary, they began to 
purify and repair it. They pulled down the altar which had 
been profaned by the heathen, and built a new one. “ Now, 
on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month (which is 
called the month Chisleu,) in the hundred and forty-eighth 
year, they rose up betimes in the morning, and offered sacri¬ 
fice according to the law, upon the new altar of burnt-offer¬ 
ings which they had made. Look at what time and what 
day the heathen had profaned it, even in that it was dedica¬ 
ted with songs, and citherns, and harps and cymbals. Thus 
was there very great gladness among the people, for that the 
reproach of the heathen was put away. Moreover, Judas 
and his brethren, with the whole congregation of Israel, or¬ 
dained that the days of the dedication of the altar should be 
kept in their season from year to year, by the space of eight 

88 


446 


APPENDIX. 


days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Chisleu, 
with mirth and gladness.” 1st Maccabees, iv. 52—59. 

There is no public service appointed for the feast, because 
the books of Maccabees, never having been admitted by 
Jews to a higher rank than that of uninspired history, cannot 
be read in the synagogues. It is commemorated in the daily 
private devotions, by a special prayer and thanksgiving, ap¬ 
pointed to be used during these eight days ; and in the fam¬ 
ily, by the lighting of candles or lamps, in remembrance of 
Jud as and his followers having cc lighted the lamps that were 
upon the candlesticks, that they might give light in the tem¬ 
ple.” 1st. Mac. iv, 50. One is lighted on the first night of 
the feast, and one more added every night during its con¬ 
tinuance. 


FEAST OF PURIM. 

The last of these commemorative ordinances is the Feast 
of Purim, mentioned in the ninth chapter of Esther. It is 
kept on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the twelfth 
month. It is now, as at its first institution, “ a day of glad¬ 
ness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions 
one to another.” Esther, ix. 19. On the thirteenth day of 
the month, there is a fast, in remembrance of that kept by 
Esther, before she presented her suit to the king. On the 
evening of the fourteenth, and morning of the fifteenth days, 
there is a service in the synagogue, in which the narrative 
of the Jews’ deliverance, and the overthrow of their ene¬ 
mies, is read from the book of Esther ; and as often as the 
name of Hainan is mentioned, it is customary for the children 
(who have little wooden hammers,) to knock against the 
wall, as a memorial that they should endeavor to destroy the 
race of Amalek. It is a time of much social joy ; members 
of the same family meet together at each others houses, and 
send presents one to another. 

Such is, at this day, the mode of observing th^se outward 
ordinances, which has served to accomplish the prophecy 
concerning them, during the long period of more than three 
thousand years : “ Lo, the people shall dwell alone and shall 
not be reckoned among the nations.” 


/ 


APPENDIX. 


447 


In conclusion, it may be mentioned, as not generally known 
to Christians, that though there is no officiating priesthood, 
yet the family of the priests and the remnant of the Levites 
that are scattered among the dispersion of Judah, are dis¬ 
tinctly known, and have certain privileges attached to them. 
The family of Aaron, who all bear the name of Cohen 
(priest) subjoined either to their proper or family name, 
have the privilege, on all occasions, of reading the first chap¬ 
ter in the law ; and on the festivals, that of pronouncing the 
blessing ; which is the same given by the Lord to Aaron and 
his sons, recorded in Numbers, vi. 24—26, “ The Lord bless 
thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon 
thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his coun¬ 
tenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” The Levites read 
the second chapter in the law ; and on festival days perform 
their ancient office of waiting on the priests ; presenting to 
them a basin of water and a towel, that they may wash their 
hands immediately before they pronounce the blessing. All 
the Cohens present pronounce the blessing with one voice ; 
which, when they are numerous, has a solemn and impos¬ 
ing effect. 


MARRIAGE. 

Marriage is considered the indispensable duty of every 
Jew. The time which the rabbins have assigned as the 
most proper for discharging this obligation, is the age of 
eighteen ; and men who remain in celibacy long after are 
considered as living in sin.* 


* Inasmuch as peculiar blessings are pronounced in the Holy Scripture 
on parents and the fruit of the womb. The natural wish for issue is thus 
heightened by a religious feeling, which accounts for the strong and 
impassioned desire which exists in every Hebrew bosom. They believe 
in a sort of purgatory, or intermediate state after death, out of the tor¬ 
ments of which the souls of parents may be delivered by the prayers of 
their children. The poor Jew who scarcely earns his daily bread, longs 
for a family as earnestly as would the most wealthy of his nation. 

In accordance with this obligation, i. e. to early marriages, societies are 
to be found among the Jews which endow poor females with marriage- 
portions, so as to enable them to marry, and thus fulfil the law. 



448 


APPENDIX. 


When a marriage is agreed upon, the promise is made 
before witnesses; which is called betrothing , or espousing. 
Matt. i. 18 . The parties continue betrothed sometimes six 
months, sometimes a year, or more, before the union is con¬ 
summated. 

Their marriage ceremonies, in different times and places, 
have exhibited some unimportant varieties, but the latest of 
their own writers have given the following general account 
of them, as performed in this and other countries in the pres¬ 
ent age. 

On the day fixed for the solemnization of the nuptials, the 
bride and bridegroom are conducted to the place appointed 
for the celebration of the ceremony. The bride is escorted 
by women, and the bridegroom by men. The company is 
generally large, including most or all of their friends and ac¬ 
quaintance. Ten men, at least, must be present, or the mar¬ 
riage is null and void. The chief rabbi and chassan of the 
synagogue form part of the company. 

A velvet canopy is brought into the room, and extended on 
four long poles. The bride and bridegroom are led to their 
station under this canopy : the bridegroom by two men ; and 
the bride by two women, her face being covered with a veil. 
These two men and two women are always the parents of 
the bride and bridegroom, if they happen to be living : other¬ 
wise this office is performed by their nearest kindred ; a man 
and his wife for the bride, and another man and his wife for 
the bridegroom ; though the bridegroom is led by the men, and 
the bride by the women. The parties are placed opposite to 
each other, and then the person who performs the ceremony, 
takes a glass of wine in his hand, and says : “ Blessed art 
thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe ! who createst 
the fruit of the vine. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, 
King of the universe ! who has sanctified us with thy com¬ 
mandments, and hast forbidden us fornication, and has re¬ 
strained us from the betrothed, but hast permitted us those 
who are married to us by means of the canopy and wedlock. 
Blessed art thou, O Lord ! who sanctifiest Israel.” The 
bridegroom and bride then drink of the wine ; after which 


APPENDIX. 


449 


the bridegroom takes the ring, and puts it on the bride’s 
finger, saying, “ Behold, thou art wedded to me with this 
ring, according to the law of Moses and Israel.” 

Then the marriage contract is read, which specifies that 
the bridegroom, A. B., agrees to take the bride, C. D., as his 
lawful wife, according to the law of Moses and Israel; and 
that he will keep, maintain, honor and cherish her, according 
to the manner of the Jews, who honor, keep, maintain and 
cherish their wives ; and that he will keep her in clothing 
decently, according to the custom of the world. This 
instrument also specifies what sum he settles upon her 
in case of his death ; and he obliges his heirs, executors and 
administrators, to pay the same to her out of the first produce 
of his effects. 

After the reading of this instrument, the person perform¬ 
ing the ceremony takes another glass of wine and repeats 
seven benedictions. Then the bridegroom and bride drink 
the wine ; after which the empty glass is laid on the floor, 
and the bridegroom, stamping on it, breaks it to pieces. This 
part of the ceremony is said to be an indication of the frailty 
of life. Then all the company shout, Good luck to you! 
The ceremony is followed by a contribution for the poor 
Jews at Canaan. The nuptial feast is as sumptuous as the 
parties can afford, and continues for seven days. 

TREATMENT AT THE BIRTH OF A CHILD. 

It is the custom for the father of the family, or some pious 
person, at the hour of delivery to write above the door, 
around the inside of the walls of the apartment, and upon the 
bed, words of the following import, “ Adam and Eve,” the 
meaning of which is explained by them to be:—“If a son, 
may he be healthy like Adam, and if a daughter, be beautiful 
like Eve.” If the child chanced to be a son, they make 
great rejoicings ; but if a daughter, she is received with grat¬ 
itude, but not with exultation. 

Circumcision on the eighth day from the birth, whatever 
day of the week that may be, is invariably performed. Ten 
persons are necessary to attend, and a female employed by 
38* ' 


450 


APPENDIX. 


the mother brings the child to the door of the apartment or 
synagogue, and gives it to him who is appointed to hold it 
during the operations, who, on entering, is hailed by the com¬ 
pany in the following words : “ Blessed be he who comes.”* 
When the operation is finished, the operator says : “ Blessed 
be the Lord our God, who has sanctified us by his precepts, 
and given us the law of circumcision ; ” to which the father 
replies : “Who has sanctified us by his precepts, and hath 
commanded us to enter the child into the covenant of Abra¬ 
ham our father;” and the bystanders add : “ As thou hast 
made this child enter, as thou hast received it with the cov¬ 
enant of Abraham our father, cause also that it may enter 
the law of Moses, into matrimony, and into good works. 

The child is generally named after the performance of the 
ceremony.f 


* Merit of Circumcision. —“It is an affirmative precept, binding 
on every man of Israel, to circumcise his son; and this is greater than any 
of the other affirmative precepts, for there is a threat of excision attached 
to it; and further, on account of it, thirteen covenants were made, as is 
recorded in the chapter of circumcision. Abraham was not called per¬ 
fect until he was circumcised, and by the merit of circumcision a covenant 
was made with him representing the giving of the land. It also delivers 
from the judgment of hell, for the wise men have said that Abraham our 
father sits at the door of hell, and does not suffer any one that is circum¬ 
cised to be cast into it. Uncircumcision is despised, for the Gentiles are 
reproached with it, as it is said all the nations are uncircumcised, (Jer. ix. 
25;) and every one who breaks the covenant of Abraham our father, 
either by not being circumcised or by becoming uncircumcised, has no 
part in the world to come, even though he possess a knowledge of the 
law and good works.”—(Joreh Deah, 260.) 

f The ceremony of redemption of the first male born is still used, and is 
performed in the following manner:—“ When the child is thirty days old 
a descendant of Aaron is sent for, (for, be it observed, that the house of 
Aaron and the house of Levi still retain their genealogy, as it has been 
already noticed,) and the company, which generally consists of ten per¬ 
sons. being met, the father brings silver or gold in a cup or basin, to the 
value of five dollars at least, and the child is put into the priest’s hands, 
who asks the mother aloud whether the boy is hers ? and if she had any other 
male or female, or untimely birth ? To all of which, when satisfactory 
answers are given, the priest declares that the child, as first-born, belongs 



APPENDIX. 


451 


EDUCATION. 

The education of the young is thus conducted among the 
Jews :—At the early age of three years they are sent to 
school, agreeably to the custom of the nation ; and it is here 
designed to show how anxious Jewish parents are to train 
up their children in the fear of God, and with a regard to 
His Word. So soon as a child is able to speak, he is taught 
to repeat, on first opening his eyes in the morning, this 
prayer :—“ I thank Thee, the living and everlasting King ; 
for Thou has restored my soul within me in Thy great and 
faithful mercy.” 

When the child is washed he repeats, in addition to the 
general form of prayer, Pslam cxi. 10 : “ The beginning of 
wisdom is the fear of the Lord : a good understanding have 
all they that do his commandments • his praise endurcth 
for ever.” 

On bringing a male child to school for the first time, a 
shawl, called in Hebrew “Talith,” edged with fringes, is 
cast over him, the same as the Jews cover themselves with 
in time of morning prayer. This custom is grounded on 
Numbers xv. 38,—“Bid them that they make them fringes 
in the borders of their garments,” &c.—and practised in the 
belief that the blessing annexed will be granted to their 
children : “ that ye may look upon it and remember all the 
commandments of the Lord, and do them.” The reason 
why Jewish parents are so particular in the early education 
of their children, is based on Deuteronomy vi. 7 : “ And 
thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,” See. 
The rabbis say, it is an imperative duty for parents to train 
up their children in their early days in the way they should 


to him (Priesthood;) but that he is willing to restore him to his lawful 
parent on receiving the money which the law enjoins. The money is 
accordingly delivered, being more or less, according to the ability of the 
parent, and the day is concluded with rejoicing. But if the first-born be 
a girl, there are few ceremonies. The minister of the synagogue, a month 
after the birth, pronounces a benediction upon the infant, and gives her a 


name. 




452 


APPENDIX. 


go. The child is provided with a large home-baked cake 
of gingerbread, having inscribed upon it the words of Isaiah 
1. 4, 5, turned into a prayer : “ O Lord God, give me the 
tongue of the learned, that I may know how to speak a 
word in season to him that is weary. May I awake morn¬ 
ing by morning : may mine ear awake as the learned. O 
Lord, open mine ear, that I may not be rebellious, nor turn 
backwards.” This cake is distributed amongst all the chil¬ 
dren of the school, except a few crumbs which are placed 
on the child’s alphabetical primer, and which he eats from 
off the letters as he names them in succession. This singular 
custom is practised by the strict class of Jews in Poland and 
Russia, in order that the letters of the alphabet may come, 
for the first time, to the child’s mind with sweetness. He is 
taught to read the Prayer-Book, the Psalms, and the Old 
Testament, in the Hebrew tongue. As soon as he can read 
the text with points, he commences the work of translation, 
without learning any thing of grammar. The teacher pro¬ 
nounces the original word, telling its meaning at the same 
time, and repeats a certain portion in this way until his pupil 
knows it. When the boy can translate tolerably, he then 
begins the Pentateuch again, wdth the exposition of Solomon 
Jarchi, the difficulties of which are orally explained to him 
by his instructor. After he is master of this, he begins the 
Talmud, of which he is usually able, by the help of a com¬ 
mentary, to make out the sense at the age of ten. At thir¬ 
teen he becomes a bar mitzvah , or cc son of the command¬ 
ment,” and is then accounted responsible for his own sins, 
which, down to that time, had been borne by his father. 
About the same period he is expected to expound publicly 
in the synagogue some difficult passage of the Talmud. He 
then begins to wear the phylacteries, w hich are mentioned 
in Deuteronomy vi. 8 : li And thou shalt bind them for a sign 
upon thine hand, and as frontlets between thine eyes.” No 
Jew makes use of these phylacteries until he completes his 
thirteenth year, but from that day he is bound to tie them 
round the head and left arm whilst he says his morning 
prayers, during the remainder of his life, the Sabbath and 
other holidays excepted. 


APPENDIX. 


453 


The following address is made by the father to the son in 
the synagogue :— 

, “ My son, I do hereby, in the presence of the Almighty 
God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, and in the presence 
of this congregation, discharge myself from all your future 
sins ; be thou, therefore, strong, and show thyself a man, 
and keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his 
ways, and keep his commandments as they are written in 
the law.” 

He then says a blessing, thanking God for his mercies in 
delivering him from this charge, and all present say “ Amen ! ” 

Such is the complete course of Hebrew education. The 
poverty of some constrains them to rest satisfied with a 
knowledge of the Pentateuch, or, in addition, of Rashi’s 
Commentary. The penury of the parents is, however, often 
supplied by the richer portion of the community, and those 
who cannot afford to contribute in money, give board for one 
or two days in the week to those students who have come 
from a distance. If a scholar shows more than usual signs 
of promise, he is generally taken into the house of some 
affluent individual, who maintains him entirely at his own 
expense, and frequently gives him the hand of one of his 
daughters. 

This system of instruction is confined to males.* Females 
are instructed in Hebrew, but they are generally obliged to 
be content with reading it, not being qualified to translate it. 

In the Mishna, the life of man is thus divided:—“A son 
of five years old, to the law. A son of thirteen years, to the 
precepts. A son of fifteen years, to the Talmud, (of which 
the Gemara was a part.) A son of eighteen, to marriage. 
A son of twenty, to acquire riches. A son of thirty, to 
strength. A son of forty, to prudence. A son of fifty, to 
give advice. A son of sixty, to old age. A son of seventy, 
to grey hairs. A son of ninety, to a pit, (as ready to stum- 


* The reason of this is, that every son is obliged to offer a prayer, 
morning and evening, after the death of a parent, for eleven months. 
They call it “ Kadesh.” 




454 


APPENDIX. 


ble into it.) And a son of a hundred, is as if dead and de¬ 
parted from the present life.” 

TRADE. 

We have said nothing about the children being taught a 
trade, and the following extract from the Talmud will show 
that the practice was general. “ What is a father command¬ 
ed to do to his son ? ” To circumcise him ; to redeem him ; 
to teach him the law ; to teach him a trade, and to take him 
a wife. Rabbi Judah saith, “He who teacheth not his son 
a trade, does as if he taught him to be a thief.” And Rabbi 
Gamaliel saith, “He who hath a trade in his hand is like a 
vineyard that is fenced ; ” and we find amongst the writings 
that some of the most distinguished men, were those who 
worked at a trade. 

HOSPITALITY AMONG THE JEWS. 

“ Be not forgetful to entertain strangers,” is much more 
generally exhibited among the Jews than amongst other na¬ 
tions.* When a poor Jew arrives in a town where he is a 


* “ And when he eats and drinks, he is bound to feed the stranger, the 
orphan, and the widow, with the other poor. But he that bolts the doors 
of his house, and eats and drinks with his children and his wife, but does 
not furnish meat and drink to the poor and afflicted, is not to be regarded 
as having fulfilled the commandment; on the contrary, his joy is that of a 
glutton, and of such persons it is said, ‘Their sacrifices shall be unto 
them as the bread of mourners ; all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for 
the bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord.’ (Hos. 
ix. 4.) (Arbah Turim, 520 .)” 

[From Hilchoth Matt’noth Aniim, cvii. 1—5.] 

“ It is an affirmative precept to give alms to the poor of Israel, according 
as the poor have need, if in the power of the giver ; for it is said, c Thou 
shalt open thine hand wide to him,’ (Deut. xv. 8 ;) and again , 1 Thou shalt 
relieve him, a stranger, that he may live with thee and again,‘ That thy 
brother may live with thee/ (Lev. xxv. 35, 36.) Whosoever sees a poor 
man begging, and shuts his eyes against him, and does not give him alms, 
transgresses a negative precept; for it is said, ‘Thou shalt not harden 
thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother/ (Deut. xv. 7.) 



APPENDIX. 


455 


total stranger, if there be but a few of his brethren in the 
place, he goes to them without hesitation ; well assured that, 
be they rich or poor, he will receive from them food or lodging. 
If he is a devout or learned man, he is received with honor 
and distinction, however mean his outward appearance may 
be. In a town where there is a synagogue, a poor stranger 
goes to one of the deacons appointed for this and other offices 
of charity, who gives him a card of introduction to one of 
the wealthy members of the congregation, who immediately 
provides for his wants ; if he is going a distant journey, he 
is often provided with letters of recommendation to the next 
town, at which he means to stop; and thus a Jew not only 
may, but, as is well known to my brethren, often travels over 
a great part of the continent of Europe with scarcely a penny 
in his pocket. It may be asked whether such conspicuous 
kindness is never abused ? I believe, comparatively, seldom, 
but however this may be, it has never operated as a check 
upon the fulfillment of what the Jews consider a sacred 
duty. 

Since very little is known about the different Societies ex¬ 
isting among the Jews, it will be desirable to give a short 
sketch of a few of them, especially of the literary ones ; for 
besides their many benevolent Societies of which we have 


According as the poor hath need, thou art commanded to give. If he has 
no clothing, he is to be clothed ; if he has no furniture, it is to be bought 
for him; if he has no wife, he is to be helped to marry one ; if a woman, 
she is to be assisted in getting a husband : yea, if it had been the poor 
man’s custom to ride upon a horse, and to have a servant running before 
him, but he is now come down in the world, it is a duty to buy him a 
horse to ride, and a servant to run before him, for it is said, ‘ Sufficient for 
his need, in that which he wanteth,’ (Deut. xv. 8;) and thou art commanded 
perfectly to relieve his want, but not to make him rich. If an orphan 
apply for assistance in order to marry, it is a duty to hire a house for him, 
and to provide all necessary furniture, and afterwards to help him to 
marry. If a poor man come and ask for relief, and the giver has not as much 
as he w r ants, he ought to give what his means afford. How much ? He that 
gives a fifth of his property, fulfils the commandment well. He that gives 
one part in ten fulfils it in a middling manner. He that gives less must be 
regarded as a person with an evil eye.” 



456 


APPENDIX. 


mentioned several, they have numerous literary Societies, a 
few of which I will endeavor to describe. 

The first and most important is the Babylonian Talmud 
Society ; designated Chevrah Shas, whose object is to study 
and to promote the study of the Talmud. All the members 
constituting this Soeiety are first-rate Talmudists, and most 
respectable. The following are a few of its rules :— 

No one can be admitted into this Society unless he is able 
to read the Talmud with facility, and understand it thorough¬ 
ly ; he must also be recommended by members; his charac¬ 
ter must be blameless ; and he is required to pay a certain 
sum into the treasury. During the first three years he is 
considered as a junior, or, as he is called by them, Sha- 
mesh , i. e. steward ; he has no vote ; but is required to 
carry out notices for convocations, to collect subscrip¬ 
tions, See. All, whether rich or poor, must observe these 
rules. At the expiration of three years, he is to pay 
another sum of money, and to make a feast for the mem¬ 
bers of the Association, and he then becomes a lawful mem¬ 
ber. If the candidate for admission happens to be the son of 
a senior member, he is entitled to certain privileges. Every 
member must be an annual subscriber ; with which subscrip¬ 
tions schools are established, books bought, and poor Tal¬ 
mudic students clothed, &c. 

Every member must read a folio every morning ; after pub¬ 
lic morning prayers all the members are required to meet in 
the Beth Hamedrash, or college, (which is generally near 
the synagogue,) and read it together ; but as some are occa¬ 
sionally prevented from attending public service, they must 
read it by themselves at home ; but as many of them as at¬ 
tend the synagogue, immediately after service, retire to their 
college in their talith and Pphillin, and read it, and discuss 
it together. They attempt to reconcile many glaring contra¬ 
dictions and unfounded assertions ; a great deal of ingenuity 
and acuteness is displayed, and thence arise numberless dis¬ 
putes. Of these disputes they are passionately fond ; and it 
is an object of the highest ambition to defend their own te¬ 
nets, and to attack those of their opponents. All those Tal¬ 
mudists are capable of reasoning powerfully upon any sub- 


APPENDIX. 


457 


ject with which they are acquainted The Chief Rabbi al¬ 
ways presides, and is umpire, to avoid endless controversy ; 
for there are sometimes a hundred together, and sometimes a 
great many speak at once. At the conclusion of a treatise 
(for the Talmud consists of thirty-six treatises,) every 
member must be present ; then is a time of rejoicing ; they 
provide wine and biscuits, and partake of them immediately 
after the conclusion. The Patron delivers a lecture, show¬ 
ing the connexion between the treatise just finished and the 
following one. If it happens to be on a fast-day, the fast is 
made null and void, and they are very ingenious in arranging 
the readings in such a way as to make them end on a fast-day. 
Once in seven years the whole of the Talmud is concluded ; 
when a great feast takes place, which is a day of great re¬ 
joicing. Rabbis are invited from different places to attend ; 
for its conclusion varies in their respective towns ; a great 
many honors are conferred upon such as have distinguished 
themselves in discovering something new, or in appearing to 
reconcile some really irreconcileable statements. 

The second literary Association is called Chevrah Mishnah, 
or Mishnah Society ; into which inferior persons are admit¬ 
ted, because it is considered much easier than the Talmud. 
It is conducted on the same plan, only with less pomp. The 
members of this Society, who happen to be members of the 
Talmud Society, read the appointed chapter in the Mishnah 
before morning service. In fact, every member of the Tal¬ 
mud Society is a member of the Mishnah Society. As the 
Mishnah is a great deal less than the Talmud, it is conclud¬ 
ed once in three years ; so that in every Beth Hamedrash in 
Poland are to be seen two large tables at each end of the 
room, crowded with Jews, who study these books in their 
talith and t’phillin, and display much earnestness. Some 
poor Jews, who are rather ignorant, sit by them, and listen 
to the explanation, so that some instruction is afforded to the 
poor and ignorant. When a rich Jew dies, he sometimes 
leaves a legacy for poor but learned men ; that every morn¬ 
ing during a whole year they may read in his behalf a chapter 
in the Mishnah, which he thinks will alleviate his tortures in 
39 


453 


APPENDIX. 


purgatory ; according to their opinion even the most righte¬ 
ous Jew must lie eleven months in a purgatory. 

The third literary Association is called Chevrah Ain Yakob , 
or Ain Jacob Society, also designed for promoting the read¬ 
ing of that book which is called Agadoth. It consists of all 
the allegories, fables, absurdities, indecencies, and wonders 
found in Talmudic lore. 

The fourth Association is termed Chevrah Mikra , or Scrip¬ 
ture Society. Its object is to read the Scriptures together 
daily at the Beth Hamedrash. The appointed hour is be¬ 
fore public evening prayers. It is conducted by a very 
learned man, who reads aloud j and all the members listen 
with profound attention. There is no disputing here, but 
everything is in perfect order. Questions are asked, but in 
a spirit of humility. The commentaries employed for that 
purpose are those of Rashi, or Jarchi, Kimchi, Aben Ezra, 
Abarbanel, M’zudoth, David, Sec. The members of this 
Society have a profound knowledge of the Scriptures. 
Since the “ London Society for promoting Christianity 
amongst the Jews 55 began to accommodate the Jews abroad 
with cheap copies of the Old Testament, free from all the 
above commentaries, there is generally to be found in every 
large town inhabited by Jews, in Poland and Russia, a So¬ 
ciety of young men, called Chevrah Tanach, whose object is 
to read the Bible without any comment ; for which purpose 
these young men have a room to themselves, for the Beth 
Hamedrash would not be allowed for that purpose. All 
these young men are sceptical about the Rabbinical oracles ; 
and it is most probable that the present movements amongst 
the Jews, and the cry for reformation, and “ No Rabbinism,” 
owe their existence, under God, to the London Society, in 
giving free course to the oracles of God among the Jews, to 
whom they were first committed. 

The fifth Association is called Chevrah Torah , or the Law 
Society, whose object is to study the Pentateuch, with all the 
Cabalistic commentaries, viz., Zohar, Medrash, Yalkut, 
Alshich, See. Alshich is a great favorite with them. This 
Society consists of all kinds of tradesmen, who are busy the 


APPENDIX. 


459 


whole week, and can scarcely find time to attend the syna¬ 
gogue. They assemble themselves on the afternoon of Sat¬ 
urday in the Beth Hamedrash (as it is read only there for 
their benefit,) when their Principal reads the Pentateuch 
aloud, and explains it, so that the most ignorant can under¬ 
stand. It is indeed a wonderful scene to behold a Jewish 
Beth Hamedrash in Poland on a Saturday afternoon ; to see 
ten or twelve large tables surrounded with pious Jews, who 
have a zeal for God. Were even their greatest enemy to 
visit such a scene, he would be struck with their piety. It 
would inspire him with a spirit of love and affection, and 
his prejudice would be turned into sincere respect for the 
Jewish nation ; but the fact is, their real state is far from be¬ 
ing known and considered by the majority of Christians. 

The Torah Society have a fast-day on the seventh day of 
the month Adar (which is generally about the end of Feb¬ 
ruary or beginning of March,) as it is supposed that Moses 
died on that day. 

Thus I have given a brief view of a few of their literary 
Associations, all of which tend to keep learning alive, and 
always secure a great number of learned men among them. 

Literature has ever surrounded the Jews in countries the 
most barbarous, and under circumstances the most unfavor¬ 
able to their condition. This has resulted mainly from the 
ardent attachment they ever felt to their sacred books, and 
the attention they religiously gave to their contents. Their 
faith is embosomed in the richest literature—their dearest 
hope is embalmed in the songs of David and in the strains 
of Isaiah. The paths that lead to their God are strewn 
with the choicest flowers of literature—the very praise and 
hosannahs they lift up in their synagogues to the God of 
Abraham arc, because inspired, couched in the profoundest 
and the most thrilling poesy ; and thus the Jews never could 
be Israelites, without being in some measure also literati ; * 


* In the Journal of the Literary Convention at New York, Appendix 
No. I., 1831, it is stated that of the literati of Spain the Jews are the most 
prominent. Of Jews, five hundred and sixty-one have written on philol- 
°gy, twenty on astrology, sixty-seven have written commentaries of various 



460 


APPENDIX. 


they could not excel the nations in religious knowledge, with¬ 
out excelling them in literary excellence also. No people were 
ever placed in social and political circumstances less favora¬ 
ble to mental excellence or literary progress, than the Jews. 

Besides the Talmud, there is another book which the Jews 
consider very sacred, entitled the Zohar, or the Great Light ; 
it is also sometimes known by the title of Cabala, of which 
Rabbi Simeon ben Yochai was the author, who lived between 
the first and second centuries. This book contains striking 
coincidences with the Christian doctrines. 

There is also a sect, which take their name and title from 
the above-mentioned book. They are “ principally scattered 
throughout Bohemia, Moravia, Hungary and Poland ; and 
may, on a general view, be divided into two classes. First, 
those who outwardly conform to Judaism, and apparently live 
after the maimer of Jews ; and, secondly, those who profess 
Christianity, or, rather, who have joined the community of 
the church of Rome ; of this number, many are found in 
Poland, especially at Warsaw, and also in Moravia. There 
are also a few at Prague ; but the majority of Zoharites in 
that city aie of the first class, apparently living after the 
manner of their brethren, the Talmudists, though, in fact, 
they believe the ceremonial law now abrogated, and no 
longer binding. This act of dissimulation is resorted to by 
way of conciliating the Jews, who, a few years ago, raised a 
most vexatious persecution against them, so that the police 
of Prague were obliged to interfere, to protect them from in¬ 
sult. Their service is generally performed by the oldest and 
most learned man amongst them, who is called the head of the 
family ; for they consider themselves all as one family, 
(something like the primitive Christians,) and lead, in this 
respect, a sort of patriarchal life among themselves. They 
all assemble, men, women and children, every Friday even- 

kinds, eighty-four on philosophy, fifty-two on grammar, thirty-six on medi¬ 
cine, eighteen on history, eighteen on mathematics ; fifty-seven poets, 
sixty-eight Talmudists, nineteen theologians, and seventy-three translators. 
In foreign universities, the chairs are occupied by Jews of distinguished 
attainments. Petersburg, Halle, and Warsaw, exemplify this. 



APPENDIX. 


461 


ing, in the house of their head of the family, who lives in a 
truly patriarchal manner, and who is never approached by 
any one of them without the greatest demonstrations of re¬ 
spect, all kissing his hands before they enter upon their re¬ 
ligious service. Their number cannot be ascertained ; and 
all questions on this point are answered by saying, ‘ We are 
but as one family.’ 

“ It was with some difficulty that the address of the head 
of the family of the Zoharites at Prague could be ascertained ; 
and equally difficult to find his house, through the intricacies 
of narrow lanes, alleys and courts, in which the Jews there 
are cooped up. And here must be mentioned the miserable 
condition of the Israelites ; for in the wretched quarter, in¬ 
habited solely by them, (and therefore called Jews’ town,) 
at every turn a new scene of misery and wretchedness, sur¬ 
passing all belief, presents itself. There are about ten 
thousand Jews so crowded, in a few narrow streets, that in 
many houses three and four families are obliged to live in 
one single room together, the parts of which, allotted to each 
family, being marked out with chalk. Need more be said, 
than to give some idea of their bodily wretchedness and 
moral degradation ? O, ye descendants of Abraham, ye 
children of promise, behold how the gold has become dim, 
the most fine gold changed ! ‘ O, that my head were waters, 

and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day 
and night for the slain of the daughter of my people ! ’ What 
will be the fate of that nation and government, in the day 
when the Lord e shall make up his jewels,’ whose oppres¬ 
sive policy and despotic tyranny deals thus with Israel, God’s 
ancient and chosen people ? It is written, ‘ I will feed them 
that oppress thee with their own flesh, and they shall be 
drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine ; and all 
flesh shall know, that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Re¬ 
deemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.’ 

“ The head of the family of Zoharites is a well-informed 
man, ‘ mighty in the Scriptures,’ thoroughly acquainted with 
Jewish literature, especially that part peculiar to his sect, 
the Cabala ; and not only conversant with the New Testa- 
39* 


462 


APPENDIX. 


ment, but also with the writings of the fathers, and the re¬ 
formers, and church history in general. But it is to be re¬ 
gretted that he lacks the most needful of all knowledge, to 
know Christ as the power and wisdom of God unto salva¬ 
tion, to all them that believe in him. When called upon, he 
was surrounded by several of his sect, expounding a portion 
of the prophecies of Isaiah, which afforded a favorable oppor¬ 
tunity of opening a conversation on the evangelical predic¬ 
tions of that prophet, and at once proclaiming Jesus Christ 
as the child born and the son given ; the man of sorrows, 
‘ who hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, who 
was despised, and we esteemed him not. 5 It was admitted 
that the Christian interpretation of the prophecies relating 
to the Messiah, was, in the main points, correct; that it cor¬ 
responded, also, with the mystical doctrines and traditions 
of the ancient Jewish church ; and that the idea and scheme 
of Christianity and the New Testament are good ; for so it 
must be, that Messiah must suffer many things. But Jesus, 
it was objected, cannot be the Messiah, as he did not accom¬ 
plish the main object of the coming of the Son of David, by 
restoring the kingdom of heaven, taking away all sin and 
uncleanness, and bringing in everlasting righteousness ; the 
very people professing to be the disci pies of the Messiah, 
and the children of the new covenant, ‘having changed the 
truth of God into a lie, being filled with all unrighteousness 
to work uncleanness with greediness. 5 How is it possible, it 
is said, that the Christians should be the children of adoption 
under the new covenant, and fellow-heirs with Israel, the 
very people who are persecuting the Jews, God’s ancient 
chosen race, with unrelenting hatred and malice? ‘ Is there 
any sorrow like unto our sorrow? 5 they repeatedly said. ‘Is 
there a people persecuted as we are? And who are our perse¬ 
cutors and enemies? Not the heathen—-not the Chinese, Jap¬ 
anese, or Indians, upon whom the Lord will inflict vengeance, 
•—but the Christians. They profess to be the disciples of the 
Prince of Peace, the Savior of Israel; but theirs will be the 
fury of the Lord ; upon them will he pour his wrath,—for they 
have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling-place. 5 55 


APPENDIX. 


463 


“It is difficult to conceive,” says the Rev. T. Page, A. M., 
Minister of Christ Church, Egham, England, “how any mind 
that has ever been brought under the influence of" genuine 
Christianity — itself the glorious antitype of Judaism — can be 
otherwise than benevolently disposed towards that most re¬ 
markable section of the posterity of Adam, the Jews. Not 
only when we contemplate the former period of their history, 
when a theocracy shed over it an unparalleled and unearthly 
distinction, are we compelled to offer the tribute of veneration 
to a people so stamped with the impress of divine selection 
and favor; but it is not possible to contemplate even their pres¬ 
ent condition, ‘scattered and peeled,’ ‘meted out,’ and ‘trodden 
down,’ as they now are, over the whole earth, — subject, as they 
every where are, to obloquy, oppression, and prejudice, — and 
sunk, as they, alas! too generally are, into a state of moral and 
spiritual as well as political degradation,— without remembering 
that of them originally were the fathers, and the covenants, and 
the promises; that of them ‘ as concerning the flesh Christ came, 
who is over all, God blessed for ever;’ that there is nothing con¬ 
soling or glorious in the recorded wonders of redemption, no¬ 
thing inspiriting or sublime in its predicted triumphs, with 
which the Jews, as a nation, are not identified; and moreover, 
without recalling to mind the fact, which of itself would con¬ 
stitute a sufficient claim upon our kindliest feelings, that, in 
their present condition, — still standing out, as they so long 
have done, peculiar and alone, a miraculous anomaly in the 
manner by which divine Providence disposes of the affairs of 
nations, — the world is furnished with an abiding proof, before 
which infidelity itself shrinks abashed, of the divine inspiration 
of that volume, in which a fact so infinitely removed beyond 
all human foresight is distinctly foretold, and which we pro¬ 
fess to receive as the treasury of our dearest consolations in 
time, and the warrant for our noblest expectations in eternity. 

“That this lias not been more generally the case among 
nominal Christians, can only be accounted for, on the ground 
of a much too prevalent indifference about a people which is 
still as much as ever beneath the protection of God’s special 
and ever jealous care. Yea, the fact that their land, which is 


461 


APPENDIX. 


still their inalienable inheritance, — the scene of all their 
national prosperity in former times, and which will be again a 
scene of far greater, in times to come, — is, at this moment, a 
ground of dispute among those powers who seem, under God, 
to have the whole world at their disposal, is surely one which 
cannot fail to create an intense interest in their swift unfolding 
destinies, in the heart of every individual who can give implicit 
credit to the oft-repeated declaration of God, in his ‘sure word 
of prophecy,’ that in the land of" their forefathers Judah shall 
yet be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. 

“ Yes, the period is drawing on, with all that steadiness and 
certainty which the purpose and the promise of God can give, 
when these banished ones shall be again the people of the 
Lord. Upon their midnight gloom the Sun of Righteousness 
shall rise, in full-orbed majesty, ‘ to be the glory of his people 
Israel.’ To the fold of God these wandering sheep shall be 
brought back with songs of rejoicing, and there shall be one 
fold, one Shepherd, one Lord, and his name One. The middle 
wall of partition shall be for ever broken down ; the enmity 
arising from their besotted adherence to carnal ordinances shall 
be finally and fully abolished; and of twain shall one new ntan 
be made, and the hope of the Jew, and the hope of the Gentile, 
shall be based upon the same unchanging foundation, and be 
sanctioned by the same everlasting covenant. 

“ ‘ 1 say, then, hath God cast away his people ? God forbid! ’ 
No — he hath not — he will not—may we with reverence say 
it — he cannot cast away his people. The sun, and the moon, 
and the stars shall, of their own accord, withdraw their illu¬ 
minating beams, and leave the world in pitchy darkness, before 
it can be said of the seed of Jacob, God hath forsaken them! 
‘For thus saith the Lord, If my covenant be not with the day 
and the night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of 
heaven and earth, then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and 
David my servant, so that 1 will not take any of his seed to be 
rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I will 
cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy upon them.’ 
— ‘In their land they shall possess the double; everlasting joy 
shall be unto them, and their seed shall be known among the 


APPENDIX. 


465 


Gentiles, and their offspring among the people ; all that see 
them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed which the 
Lord hath blessed.’” 

VVe discover it to be the purpose of the God of Abraham, of 
Isaac, and of Jacob, to remember once more his ancient people 
the Jews, who shall be delivered out of the hands of their ene¬ 
mies of the Gentile nations (heathen and Christian) by the ex¬ 
ercise of his almighty and miraculous power, and shall be 
restored to their own land, converted, and become the centre 
of the visible church of Christ, —the chief of the nations of the 
earth, during the reign of universal righteousness and peace. 
Deut. xxx. 1—9; xxvii. 1—10—13; xxxii. 26, 27, 31—36, 41— 
43; xxxiii. 26—29; Leviticus xxvi. 3—12; Exod. xv. 17, 18; 
Numb, xxiii. 21, 23, 24; xxiv. 5—9, but particularly 14—24, 
where it is related what Israel is to achieve, and receive of 
felicity and glory through the Captain of their salvation, the Star 
of Jacob in the latter days. 

The subject of the restoration and conversion of the Jews, 
and the glory that shall follow, will be more clearly and fully 
understood by examination of the following brief collection of 
unfulfilled prophecies, after a more minute and methodical ar¬ 
rangement; and fioin what we have already seen of literal and 
exact fulfilment of prophecy, it is our duty to pray and wait in 
the sure and stediast hope that all these glorious promises to 
Israel will have their full and accurate accomplishment. 

I. At the time of the restoration and conversion of the Jews, 
there shall be greater wars, confusion, and desolation, through¬ 
out all the earth, than there have ever been since the world 
began. 

See Dan. xii. 1; Matt. xxiv. 21, 29; Luke xxi. 25,26; Joel ii. 
2 —11, 30, 31; iii.; Micah v. 8, 15; Isai. xxiv.; Zeph. iii. 8—20; 
Ezek. xxviii. 25, 26; xxxviii.; xxxix.; Hag. ii. 21, 22; Jerem. 
xxx. 7, 10; xxv. 13—17—27—31—33, 37, 38; 2 Chron. xv. 3— 
7; I lab. iii. 1—6—16; Numb. xxiv. 17—18; Micah iii. 7—13— 
17; Zech. xiv. 3—12; Rev. xvi. 14—16; xix. 11—21. 

The Jews shall be the chief instrument in the hand of God for 
the punishment and destruction of their enemies of the Gentile 
nations. See Zech. ix. 13, 14; x. 3—5; lsai. xli. 8, 9, 15, 16; 


455 


APPENDIX. 


Obad. 17,18; Jerem. li. 19—23; Micah iv. 11—13; v. 8,9, 15; 

vii. 1G, 17; Zech. xii. 2—6—9; xiv. 14. 

II. The Jews shall be gathered from all parts of the earth 
where they are now scattered, and brought home to their own 
land. See Isai. xi. 11; xxvii. 12—14; xliii. 5, 6; xlix. 11, 12; 
lx. 4. Compare Jerem. iii. 18; xvi. 14,15; xxiii. 3, 8; xxx. 10; 
xxxi. 7—10; xxxii. 37; Hos. xi. 8,10,11; Zeph. iii. 10, 14—20; 
Zech. viii. 7, 8; x. 8—10. 

III. This shall be done by a train of wonderful providences; 
they shall become the most prosperous, and honorable, and re¬ 
ligious nation. Isai. xxvii. 12, 13; Ezek. xi. 17—21; xxxvi. 24 
—28; Hos. i. 10, 11; Amos ix. 11—15; Zech. xiv. 10, 11. 

IV. They shall be carried by the Gentiles to their place, who 
shall, in all their fulness, join themselves with the Jews, and be¬ 
come the Lord’s people. See Isai. xlix. 22; xiv. 2; lx. 9; lxvi. 
19, 20; ii. 2—4; xlix. 6; Rom. xi. 12,15, 25, 2G ; Jerem. iii. 17; 
xvi. 14, 15, 19; Ezek. xlvii. 22, 23; Micah v. 3; Zech. ii. 11 ; 

viii. 20, 21; xiv. 16. 

V. The Jews shall, in the spirit of faith and repentance, em¬ 
brace their own Messiah, whom they now reject, and thereupon 
he taken into the divine favor and everlasting covenant anew. 
Zech. xii. 10—14; xiii. 1; Rev. i. 7 ; Matt, xxiii. 39; Jerem. 
xxxi. 31—34; xxxiii. 5—8; i. 4, 5; xxxii. 27—42; Isai. lv. 3; 
lix. 21; Ezek. xvi. GO; and especially xxxii. 26—28 ; xxxiv. 25; 
Hos. iii. 4, 5; Rom. xi. 11—32; Isai. xiv. 8, 17—23—25; liv.; 
lx.; Ixii.; Ixv.; lxvi. 5—22. 

VI. As great miracles shall be wrought, when Israel and 
Judah are brought out of all nations and restored to their own 
land, as formerly were wrought when they were brought out 
of Egypt. Jerem. xxiii. 3, 7, 8; xvi. 14, 15; and xxiii. 7, 8, 
especially Micah vii. 15, 16; Ezek. xx. 33—37. 

1. The drying up of the River Euphrates, and the tongue of the 
Egyptian (or Red) Sea. Isai. xi. 15,16; li. 9,10; xliii. 16; Zech. 
x. 10, 11 ; Isai. x. 24, 26. It is from this literal drying up of the 
Euphrates, (in Isai. xi. 15, 16,) for the children of Israel to pass 
over dry shod, (Zeph. x. 10, 11,) that the metaphor of the drying 
up of the Euphrates is borrowed in Rev. xvi. 12, (“ that the way 
of the kings of the east, the ten tribes, might be prepared,”' 



APPENDIX. 


467 


which means the decaying of the Turkish power and dominion, 
the long and bitter oppressor of the Jews. 

2. Causing rivers to Jlow in desert places. Isai. xliii. 18—20; 
xxxv. 6; xli. 17—19; xlviii. 20, 21. 

3. Giving them the spirit of prophecy , and other miraculous 
gifts. Joel ii. 21—32; this was partially fulfilled on the day of 
Pentecost, see Acts ii. 16—21, 39; Zech. xii. 10. 

4. The Lord Christ himself shall, hy the glorious Shechinah, 
appear at the head of them, (Micah ii. 12,13; Isai. liii. 12; lviii. 
8; Hos. i. 10, 11; Micah i. 1, 3, 4; Psalm xcvi. 13; xcvii. 1, 
3—5; Isai. xxvi. 21; Zech. xiv. 4—9; Isai. lxiii. 1—5,) as he did 
in the Exodus from Egypt, by the manifestation of the Shechi- 
nah, (or divine glory,) in the pillar of a cloud by day, and by 
night in a pillar of fire. See Exod. xiii. 21; xiv. 19; compared 
with xvi. 7, 10; Exod. xxiv. 10, 11, 16, 17; xxxiii. 11, 14. 

VII. The Jews, being restored and converted to the faith of 
Christ, shall he formed into a state, and become the chief of the 
kingdoms of the earth , and have judges and counsellors over 
them as formerly. The Lord Jesus Christ himself in person 
shall be their king, who shall also he acknowledged as king 
over all the earth ; or, in the words of the salutation of the angel 
Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, “ He shall be great, and shall be 
called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give 
unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over 
the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be 
no end.” (Luke i. 32, 33; Isai. ix. 7.) See Isai. i. 26; lx. 17; 
Jerem. xxiii. 4, 5; xxx. 8, 9, 21; Gen. xlix. 10; Ezek. xxi. 27; 
Zeph. iii. 5, 15, 17; Hos. iii. 6; Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24; xxxvii. 23, 
25 ; Jerem. xxx. 9 ; xxiii. 5, 6; Isai. ix. 7, (compared with Luke 
i. 32, 33; Acts vii. 37—39, 52;) Isai. liv. 5; xlix. 6; Obad. 21; 
Zech. xiv. 5, 9; Ps. xxii. 27, 28; lxxxvi. 9; lxv. 11, 19; cii. 16 
—18; xcviii. 3, 6. 

VIII. They shall have the victory over all their enemies, and 
all kingdoms and nations of the earth shall submit unto them. 
Isai. xi. 13, 14; xiv. 1—3; xli. 14—16; xlix. 23; lx. 3—16; xxv. 
10; Ixvii. 18—20; Joel iii. 7, 8, 19, 20; Obad. 17,18; Micah iv. 
6—8, 11—12; v. 6—9; vii. 16, 17 ; Zech. ii. 8, 9, 13; ix. 13— 
■*6; x. 5, 6; xii. 6; Numb. xxiv. 18, 19; and Hannah’s trium¬ 
phant song, 1 Sam. ii, 1—10. 


463 


APPENDIX. 


IX. Judah and Israel, at that time, shall live peaceably to¬ 
gether, formed into one kingdom, under David their king, 
(Messiah,) and shall never more he divided into kingdoms, nor 
ever contend with each other again. See Isai. xi. 13,14 ; xiv. 
1, 26; and xxxiv. 23; Jerem. iii. 1, 4, 5, 18; Ezek. xxxvii. 16— 
22—24, 28 ; xxxvi. 22—29, 31; Ilos. i. 11; iii. 5 ; Jerem. xxiii. 
6; xxx. 3, 4, 9; xxxiii. 6—9, 15—21—24—26; Zech. ix. 13; x. 
6, 7, 12 Mic. iv. 7; Luke i. 32, 33; Isai. xxxii. 1. 

They shall be very numerous and multiply greatly. Isai. 
xxvii. 6; xliv. 3—5; xlix. 18—23; liv. 1—3; lxi. 9; Jerem. xxii. 
3—6; xxx. 18—20; xxxi. 27, 28; Ezek. xxxvi. 8—10, 38; Hos. 
xiv. 5—8; Isai. Ixv. 22, 23; Psal. xcii. 12—14. 

They shall have great peace, safety, and outward temporal 
blessings. Isai. xxxii. 15—18; xi. 6—9; xxxiii. 24; liv. 11— 
17; lx. 16—18—21; Ixv. 18—25; lxi. 6, 7 ; Jerem. xxiii. 3—6 ; 
xxx. 10; xxxi. 1—14, 25—40; xxxiii. 6—9; Ezek. xxxiv. 25 ; 
Lev. xxxi. 6—12 ; and see Psalm lxxii., compared with the 1 
Kings iv. 20—34, Solomon’s reign a type of Christ’s millennial 
reign. 

They shall be very glorious and a blessing to the whole earth, 
Isai. xix. 24, 25; lxi. 9; Jerem. xxxiii. 6; Ezek. xxxiv. 26; 
Zeph. iii. 19, 20 ; Zech. vii. 13. 

X. The land of Judea shall be made eminently fruitful, like 
Paradise or the Garden of Eden. Isai. xxxix. 17; xxxv. 1, 2, 7 
—10 ; li. 3 ; Iv. 12, 13 : Ezek. xxxiv. 26, 27 ; xxxvi. 11, 30, 35, 
36; Joel iii. 18; ii. 21—27; Amos ix. 13, 15; Micah iv. 4; 
Zech. iii. 10; viii. 12; Hos. ii. 21—23; Psalm Ixvii. 9; lxxxv. 
12 ; Lev. xxvi. 3—6; Deut. xxxiii. 13—16; and Mai. iii. 10—12 ; 
Joel iii. 18. Compare Rom. viii. 19—22, and iii. 19—21; Matt, 
xvii. 11, and xix. 28, 29. 

XI. The city of Jerusalem shall be rebuilt upon a larger and 
nobler scale than ever before ; and, after the full restoration of 
the Jews, shall never more be destroyed, nor infested by ene¬ 
mies. Jer. xxxi. 38—40; xxx. 18,21; Zech. xiv. 10, 11; viii. 
3,4—8,13; xii. 6; Joel iii. 17; Psalm cxlvii. 2; cii. 13—16; 
li. 18, 19, and lxix. 35 ; Isai. Ixv. 18, 19 ; xxxiii. 20 ; lxii. 1,6, 7; 
Iii. 1; lx. 11—15,18, 21; i. 26; xxvi. 1; xxxiii. 5, 9 ; Jer. iii. 17; 
xxiv. 6, 7 ; Obad. 17 ; Amos ix. 14, 15; Psalm cxxi. 2—9 ; Isai. 
Xvi. 1; Jer. xxxiii. 7. 


APPENDIX. 


469 


“ Such being the high purposes of God respecting the Jewish 
nation, let Christians, who, as the wild olive, are for the present 
partakers of the root and fatness of the olive-tree, become more 
sensible of their obligations and duties towards these, ‘ the 
natural branches.’ Let us not doubt, but earnestly believe, 
that, as the fall of Israel hath been the riches of the world, and 
the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, the receiving 
of them will be, to the whole race of Adam, as life from the 
dead; that ‘ the remnant shall be in the midst of many people 
as a dew from the Lord.’ 

“ They shall shine in eloudless beauty, 

In the Lord’s appointed hour} 

They shall labor, firm in duty, 

Crowned with apostolic power. 

11 Let the season, Lord, be hastened, 

Thy forsaken to restore ; 

Comfort them whom thou hast chastened j 
Lead them back, to stray no more ! 

“ ‘ Go through, go through the gates, prepare ye the way of 
the people, cast up the highway, gather out the stones, lift up 
a standard for the people. Behold the Lord hath proclaimed 
unto the ends of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, 
Behold thy salvation cometh, behold his reward is with him, 
and his work before lnm, and they shall call them, “ The holy 
people,” “The redeemed of the Lordand thou shall be called, 
“ Sought out, A city not forsaken.” ’ ” 


40 


470 


ON JUDAH. 

“ Behold the days come , saith the Lord , that I will perform that good 
thing which / have promised unto the house of Israel , and to the 
house of Judah." — Jer. xxxiii. 14. 

Who walked the valley in th’ inspired dream, 

When skeletons of mighty men lay round, 

Flouting the darkness with their bony gleam ? 

Who heard the mystic voice — the rushing sound 
Of shaking bones uplifted from the ground — 

The breath of the four winds ? Whose soul did meet 
The shadowed glory of the warrior’s bound, 

Speaking of life, — the shout his lips repeat,— 

The multitudinous host, and clang of armed feet ? 

’Tis the Loro^ day — the day of joy ! weep not, 

Daughter of Zion, for thy children’s sake ! 

Though thou, forget Him, He hath not forgot. 

But cometh, in forgiving love, to break 
The fetters of thy shame from off thy neck — 

To give his presence to thy holy sod, 

And bid the glory of thy streets awake! 

Yea! Comfort ye my people, saith your God ! 

For Mercy comes to smile where blasting Vengeance trod 

O, thou dejected city ! thou forsaken 

Land ! where the Prophet’s path was wont to be ! 

O, air, wherein the Psalmist’s strings did waken, 

Breathing their bold, inspired harmony ! 

Temple! where dwelt th’ Eternal One ! and ye, 

His sad, and scattered sons ! who cannot keep 
The Lord’s song among strangers, — on the tree 
Hanging your harps, while, by the waters deep 
Of this world’s Babylon, ye, captive, sit, and weep ! 

Daughter of Zion ! smooth thy cheek with smiles, 

Put on thy beautiful garments, lift thy brow, 

And shout rejoicing to the friendly isles, 

That thy Redeemer is thy King, — that thou, 

Captive with all thy sons, no more may’st bow,— 

That God restores the people of his choice,— 

That sorrow flees away, for ever, now! 

O, shout it to the nations with glad voice ! 

For all the exulting Earth shall, in thy joy, rejoice ! 


E. B. B. 


INDEX. 


Antiochus Epiphanes, his tyranny and oppression, 35, 36 ; takes and plun¬ 
ders Jerusalem, and desecrates the temple, 35. 

Aristobulus II. proclaimed King of the Jews, 39; taken prisoner by 
Pompey, 40. 

Antigonus, son of Aristobulus II., invades Judea, 40; beheaded at 
Antioch, 42. 

Archelaus, the Ethnarch, made ruler of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea, by 
the will of his father Herod, 48. 

Agrippa the younger, his history, 50, 51, 56. 

Albinus, his bad government, 52. 

Ananus incites the people against the Zealots, and defeats them, 59 J is 
slain by the Idumeans, 60. 

Artemio heads the revolted Jews in Cyprus, 82. 

Akiba, Rabbi, 84. 

Ambrose, bishop of Milan, his letter to the Emperor, 106, 107. 

Avitus, bishop of Clermont, first protects the Jews, and then converts 
them by force, 157, 158. 

Aben Ezra, the Wise, his learning, 177, 178. 

Aubriot, provost of Paris, his justice, 203 ; is imprisoned for it, 202. 
Astorgo of Leon burned alive, 204. 

Albert 1. claims the Jews of Philip the Fair, 229. 

Abarbanel, Don Isaac, his history, 254—258. 

Arba Turim, the, a system of Hebrew law, 263. 

Alexander VI., Pope, his treatment of the Jewish Exiles, 269. 

Aden, the Jewish population of, 370. 

Appeal in behalf of the Jewish .Nation, 396—400. 

Atonement, day of, 440—442. 

Ain Jacob, Society, 458. 

Bassus, Lucilius, sent with an army into Judea, 74. 

Barcochab, a false Messiah, 84 ; slain by Julius Severus, 85. 

Bither stormed and taken by the Romans, 85. 

Babylon, the Pontiff of, 93, 94. 

Bishop of Callinicum burns the synagogue, 106. 

Belisarius besieges Naples, 116. 

Benjamin of Tudela, his travels, 186—189. 

Beziers, Easter custom in, 195. 

Bedrasci, Rabbi, 209. 

Benedict. Pope, deposed, 216. 

Berne, its hostility to the Jews, 227. 

Black Death, the, 230. 

Brabant. Persecutions in, 232, 233. . 

Bernardino Tomitano, his persevering intolerance, 250—2o2. 

Boleslas, King of Poland, his intolerant character, 276. 



472 


INDEX 


Bescht, the founder of a sect, 298, 299. 

Bonaparte summons a sanhedrim, 312 } his regulations, 314. 

Bucharia, Jewish population of, 370. 

Beni-lsrael, account of, 373, 374} Dr. Wilson’s account of, 376—378 
Black Jews, 388, 389. 

Bombay, Jews of, 394. 

Barbary, Jews of, 394. 

Birth of a child, 449, 450. 

Beth Hamedrath, society of, 456 } meeting of7459. 

Caesar, Julius, makes Judea a republican oligarchy, and in ten years 
restores the oligarchy, 40. 

Captivity, the Prince of, 93—95, 124. 

Caracalla, the Emperor, the son of a Jew, 91 ; anecdote of, 91. 
Christianity, establishment of, under Constantine, 97. 

Constantine restores and beautifies Jerusalem, 98; builds the church of 
the Holy Sepulchre, 100; his severity to the Jews, 103, 104. 

Cyril, arch-bishop of Alexandria, quells an insurrection of the Jews, 113. 
Chosroes, king of Persia, his persecutions, 126} takes Jerusalem, 127} 
defeated by the Emperor Heraclius, 128. 

Charlemagne, his justice to the Jews, 172. 

Charles the Bald favors the Jews, 174. 

Confession of Faith, the Hebrew, 183, 184. 

Chieti, riot at, 186. 

Charles the Wise makes a treaty with the Jews, 203} riot in his reign. 203. 
Christiani, Father Paul, his dispute with the learned Jews of Arragon, 211. 
Convention, Peter de Luna’s, 215, 216. 

Caorsini, the, extortioners, 242. 

Constance, Council of, 248. 

Constantinople, condition of the Jews there, 279—281. 

Cromwell, Oliver, his course towards the Jews, 286. 

Chasidim, the sect of, 297, 298 ; dogmas of, 300—304. 

Callenberg, institution of, 309, 310. 

Canning, Stratford Sir, intercedes with the Sultan to stop the persecution 
of the Jews in Syria, 353. 

Cochin, Jews of, 389. 

Converts, Jewish, 405, 406. 

Decree, merciless one of the council of Toledo against the Jews, 143—154. 
Dagobert the First, his cruelty, 159 

Decree, oppressive one of Ferdinand and Isabella, 218—220. 

David, the missionary of Judaism, 259. 

Dober, the Moravian missionary, 310. 

Dedication, Feast of the, 445, 446. 

Engaddi destroyed by robbers, 62. 

Eleazer, the commander of Masada, his heroic and fatal resolve, 75, 76. 

Epiphanius, his miraculous conversion, 104 

Ervig, king of the Visigoths, his infamous decree, 142. 

Enussim, or forced converts, cruelties practised upon, 217. 

Edward the First levies a poll tax on the Jews, 244} banishes them, 244. 
Eugenius IV., Pope, his severity, 249. 

England, laws and regulations of, 305, 306. 

Education of the young Hebrews, 451—453. 

Felix, Antonius, before whom Paul appeared, made governor of Judea, 51 
Festus, Porcius, 51. 


INDEX. 473 

Floras, Gessius, his bad government, 52; scourges and crucifies the Jews 
m Jerusalem, 55. 

Florence tolerates the Jews, and declares war on account of its Jewish 
ambassador, 253 ; condition of the Israelites there, 253. 

Ferrara, treatment of the Jews there, 2G0. 

Frank founds the sect of the Zoharites, 296, 297. 

Frederick II. of Prussia, his regulations, 304, 305. 

Callus, Cessius, Prefect of Syria, receives the complaints of the Jews 
against Floras, and is superseded by Vespasian, 56. 

Gamaliel deprived of the patriarchate of Tiberias, 114. 

Gregory of Rome, his efforts to repress the internal slave trade, 121—123. 
Gaonim, the sect of, 165, 166. 

Gimchi, the family of, 191—193. 

Genoa, treatment of the Jews there, 261. 

Germany, condition of the Jews in, 308, 309. 

Hyrcanus I., prince of Judea, 39. 

Hyrcanus 11. created high priest and prince by Pompey, 40; confirmed by 
Cresar, 40; made prisoner by Aristobulus I., 41;" put to death by 
Herod, 45. 

Herod the Great, his history, 40—48 ; his miserable death, 48. 

Herod the Tetrarch banished to Gaul, 49. 

Herod Philip, 49. 

Herod Agrippa, his history, 49, 50. 

Hadrian attempts to suppress Judaism, 83; founds a new Roman city on 
the site of Jerusalem, 86. 

Heliogabalus, anecdote of, 91. 

Hierax scourged by Orestes, 112. 

Hasdai, his letter to the king of Khozar, 162—164. 

Hezekiah, last Prince of the Captivity, 186. 

Henry of Trastamara persecutes the Jews, 208. 

Hieronymus, otherwise de Lorka, disputes with the rabbis at Tortosa, 215. 
Henry III., his extortions, 241, 242. 

Herschell, Rev. S., his testimony, 351. 

Hebrew language only spoken in Jerusalem, 359. 

Hospitality among the Jews, 454, 455. 

Idumeans, the, enter Jerusalem and join the Zealots, 60; abandon their 
allies, 61 ; fight against them, 63. 

Innocent IV., his just and merciful law, 247. 

Jaddua, the high priest, his mission to Alexander, 31, 32 
Jesus, or Jason, his efforts to subvert the true religion, 34; attacks Jeru¬ 
salem, 35. 

Judea invaded by Herod and the Romans, 41. 

Judas Maccabeus recovers the independence of his country, 37,38; killed 
in battle. 38. 

Jonathan, the high priest, succeeds his brother Judas, 38. 

John, the Publican, bribes Floras, 53; imprisoned by him, 54. 

Josephus defends Jotaputa, and is made prisoner by the Romans, 57; sent 
by Titus to the Zealots, 69. 

John the Gischalite, his proceedings in Jerusalem, 58,59; begs his life, 73. 
Jerusalem burned by Titus, 72. 

Julian the Apostate undertakes to rebuild the temple, 104. 

Julian, a false Messiah, 117. 

Justinian, his severity, 116—119. 

Joseph, king of Khozar. his letter to Hasdai, 165. 

40* 


474 


INDEX. 


Jarchi, Rabbi, unjustly accused in Poland, 193. 

Joseph, Don, treasurer of Castile, 207. 

John of England, his capricious tyranny, 239, 240. 

Joseph II. of Germany, his tolerance, 308. 

Jacobson, his efforts in Westphalia, 315. 

Jews, their present state in England, 31G, 317 ; in Germany, 317—321 ; in 
Russia, 322—326; in Spain, 335; in Sweden, 335, 336; in Denmark, 
336 ; in the Papal States, 336, 337 ; in Modena, 338, 339 ; in Naples and 
Tuscany, 339 ; in Mohammedan countries, 340, 341 ; in Syria, 341, 342; 
sympathy in their behalf in London, 349, 350; their exceeding faith in 
the restoration, 355; Polish, their petition to the Emperor Nicholas, 
362, 363; condition of in Persia, 364; in Yemen, 369; in Aden, 370. 
Jewess, execution of one, 399, 400 
Jamaica, Jews in, 402. 

Khozar, the kingdom of, 161—163. 

Karaites, the sect of, 166—170; settlements of, 326—328 ; in Constantino¬ 
ple, 328—330; Mr. Bonar’s visit to them, 333; service of in Jerusalem. 
334. 

Leo the Isaurian, legend of, 171. 

Louis the Debonnaire, his physician, 173; protects the Israelites, 174; 
Louis VIII., his injustice, 200. 

Louis IX., his treatment of the Jews, 200. 

Lucca, its honorable toleration, 251. 

Leo the Hebrew, his history, 262. 

Ladislas, king of Hungary, permits his subjects to oppress the Israelites, 
272. 

Luther, Martin, his course towards the Jews, 274. 

London, meeting in of bankers and merchants, on account of the perse¬ 
cution of the Jews in Syria, 352. 

Law Society, 458. 

Mattalhias revolts against Antiochus, 37 ; dies, 37. 

Masada, the robbers of, attack Engaddi, 62. 

Masada, description of, 74, 75 ; its fall, 76, 

Messiah, a false one, 83. 

Minorca, conversion of the Jews there, 108. 

Moses, the Cretan impostor, 114. 

Mohammed, his deeds, 135—137. 

Moses, Rabbi, founds a school in Spain, 176. 

Moses ben Maimon, or Maimonides, his history, 178—180, 183, 184. 
Mechanet, Denis, the converted Israelite, 203. 

Manuel, king of Portugal, banishes the Jews, 224. 

Michael, a Jew, burned at Dissenhofen for a pretended infanticide, 228. 
Mons, judicial combat there, 228. 

Monts de Puta, their establishment, 249, 250. 

Molchu, the missionary of Judaism, burned, 259. 

Mannasseh ben Israel, his history, 283—285. 

Mendelsohn. Moses, his history, 306. 307. 

Moravians, their efforts at conversion, 310. 

Montefiore, Sir Moses, delegated to plead for the Jews, 351. 

Mehemet Ali, his judicious conduct, 354. 

Meshed, massacre of the Jews there, 368. 

Mawer-al-nuhr, the Jews of, 374, 375- 
Malabar, black Jews of, 389—391. 

Morocco, Jews of, 395, 396, 400. 

Mulai Abderahman burns a Jewess, 399, 400. 


INDEX. 


475 


Missions to the Jews, 404, 405. 

Marriage, 447 ; the ceremony of, 448. 

Mishnah. society of, 457 . 

Nero sends Vespasian against the Jews, 57. 

° Nathan ben Zakiel. the rabbi. 191. 

Nostrodainus. Peter, converted to Christianity, 204. 

Naples, Massacre there. 246. 

Nicholas MI., Pope, his wise toleration, 247. 

Onias, or Menalaus, the traitor and apostate, 34. 

Omar, the Caliph, takes Jerusalem, 137. 

Orobio, his history, 288, 289. 

* Pompey takes the temple, and reduces Judea, 46. Z 

Pontius Pilate, the Procurator, banished to Gaul, 51. 

Peter, bishop of Tarragona, rebuked by Gregory, 123. 

Peter of Cluni, the Venerable, recommends the spoliation of the Jews, 197 
Philip Augustus burns eighty Jews, 196 ; his extortions, 199. 

Philip the Fair protects the Jews against the Inquisition, and banishes 
them from France, 201. 

Peter the Cruel favors the Jews, and is aided by them in return, 208. 

* Peter de Luna appoints a convocation of learned Hebrews to dispute with 

Hieronymus, 213. 

Paul III., Pope, his intolerant bull. 270. 

Paul IV., Pope, his oppressions. 270, 271. 

Poland, treatment of the Jews there, 275, 276. 

Persecution, recent, of the Jews in Syria, 342—346} in the island of 
Marmora, 353. 

Protest of the English, and of the converted Jews, 351, 352. 

Palestine, recent confluence of Jews there, 355, 356. 

Passover, feast of the, 427. 

Pentecost, feast of, 431—435. 

Purim, feast of, 446. 

Quietus, L., sent against the revolted Jews in Mesopotamia, 82. 

Rabbinical school at Jamnia, 79 j its teachers, 80: notice of the Rabbins, 
81,87—90. 

Recared, king of the Visigoths, persecutes the Jews, 139. 

Rouen, Massacre of the Jews there, 196. 

Rodolph, a fanatic, preaches a massacre of the Jews, 196. 

Richard Coeur de Lion, riot at his coronation, 236 3 massacre at York in 
his reign, 238 ; his laws, 239. 

Richard, earl of Cornwall, his demands on the Jews, 243. 

• Ravenna, treatment of the Jews there, 261. 

Simon, brother of Judas Maccabeus, wars on the Syrians, 37,38 3 acknowl¬ 
edged hereditary prince and high priest, 395 assassinated, 39. 

Sicarii, the, secret assassins, 52. 

» Simon of Gerusa, his exploits, 62, 63 j is put to death in Rome, 73. 

Silva, Flavius, beseiges Masada, 74. 

, Sanhedrim, the, escapes the wreck of Jerusalem, 79 5 further matter ap¬ 
pertaining thereto, 80—82. 

Severus, Julius, puts down the revolt of the Jews under Barcochab, the 
false Messiah, 85. 

• Sepulchre, the Holy, Church of, built by Constantine. 102. 

Severus, the bishop, converts the Jews in Minorca, 109, 110. 

Simeon, the mad saint, 119. 

Sisebut, king of the Visigoths, converts the Jews in Spain by compul¬ 
sion, 140. 

Strasburg, burning of two thousand Jews there, 231. 

Stephen, king, assesses the Jews, 235. 


11 


47G 


INDEX. 





W 


Soncinati, the family of, 263—265. 

Sadolet, Bishop, his remonstrance against the pope, 269, 270. 

Stiria, treatment of the Jews there, 272, 273. 

Spinosa, his history, 287, 288. 

Sabbathai Sevi, the false Messiah, his history, 290—295. 

Sanhedrim, the, summoned by Bonaparte, 312; questions put to, 313 
answers thereto, 313, 314. 

Stern, the Bev. H. A., his notes on the condition of the Jews in Persia, 366. 
Stations, missionary, 412, 413. 

Sabbath, the Jewish, 421. 

Synagogue, the, approved by Christ, 423; service of, 424, 425. 

Scripture Society, 458. 

Societies among the Jews, 456—459 


Titus appears before Jerusalem, 66. 

Temple, the Holy, is burned, 71. 

Talmud, the Babylonian, 94, 95. 

Talmud of Jerusalem, 95. 

Theodosius, the emperor, humbles himself to the church, 106; protects 
the Jews, 107. 

Theodorus, the rabbi, 109, 110. 

Theodosius 11. prohibits the Purim, 111. 

Theodoric, his wise reign, 115. 

Toledo, slaughter of the Jews there, 218. 

Trent, the mob and massacre of, 249. 

Trumpets, feast of, 436—440. 

Tabernacles, feast of, 443, 444. 

Trades, 454. 

Talmud Society, the Babylonian, 456. 

Uladislas, king of Poland, protects and favors the rabbi Jarchi, 194. 

Urban V., Pope, forbids forcible conversion, 247. 

Usque, Solomon, his works, 267. 

United Provinces, treatment of the Jews there, 277, 278, 283—285. 

United States, Jews in the, 401. 

Vespasian appointed Prefect of Syria, 57 ; arrives in Judea with his army, 
57; lays seige to Jotapata, 57 ; is declared emperor, 58. 

Verdun, the Israelites destroyed there by the shepherds, 292. 

Vicentius, bishop, converts with fire and sword, 217. 

Venice, treatment of the Jews there, 260. 

Wamba. king of the Visigoths, banishes the Jews from Spain, 142. 

William Rufus favors the Jews, 234. 

Wolff, the Rev. Joseph, his visit to the Jews in Persia, 364, 365; his de¬ 
scription of the Jews in Meshed, 367—369. 

Wilson, Dr., his account of the Beni-Israel, 376—381. 

Yezdegerd, king of Persia, persecutes the Jews, 138. 

York, massacre of the Jews there, 238. 

Yemen, condition of the Jews thereof, 369. 

Year, the civil and ecclesiastical, 401. 

Zoroaster, his appearance and reformation, 23. 

Zealots, the, their character, 58,59; they imprison the three royal princes,59. 
Zacharias accused by the Zealots, and murdered by two of their number, 61 
Zenobia, queen of the East, of Jewish extraction, 92. 

Zedekiah, physician of Louis the Debonnaire. 173, 174. 

Zacharias, rabbi, founds a sect in Russia, 293. 

Zoharites, the sect of, 296, 460, 461. 

Zaddik, the, his powers and attributes, 300—302. 

Zechor Berith, the reminding of the covenant, 437. 





















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